


Don't Fear the Reaper

by SinkingintheAbyssofFeels



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Planet, Alternate Universe, Being Lost, Bittersweet Ending, Canon Related, Episode: s01e08 Father's Day, F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s04e16 Waters of Mars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-24 22:31:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 35,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4937668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinkingintheAbyssofFeels/pseuds/SinkingintheAbyssofFeels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Father's Day what if the Doctor, when he stormed off the Estates, actually made it back into the TARDIS? Allowing him to leave Rose, and scare her with mock-abandonment as he originally intended. However, what will this become for the Doctor when he returns to 1987, and finds a parallel world has been created? Reunion-fic of sorts. Set after Journey's End.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Through with You

**Author's Note:**

> Anything recognizable can't possibly belong to me. But hey, feel free to question it anyway, you'll only succeed in making me blush.

Enough. Carbon copies; everyone of them born and shall die a stupid ape. Even her. He might’ve had hope. She showed promise. Intelligence at least.

The Doctor threw open the TARDIS doors. In a few long strides he leaned heavily against the console. Hand hovering over the parking brake.

It'd do them both good if he just left. So he did. Tossed a few levers and punched right into the Vortex.

Then the Doctor fell heavily into the captains chair.

It upset him more than she knew. He told her about his planet, how he couldn't save it. She gave him her sympathy, and he thought she understood, until she threw those words back in his face by saving her own father’s life.

Pete Alan Tyler, The Doctor could feel the universe rejecting his unstable timeline. Pushing and crashing as it shoved itself into a future that should not be. Mainly due to Rose. The universe would only accept one or the other, like a carefully packed box, it was impossible to hold both. He tasted raw time battling in the air while they both stood in existence. Rose’s timeline clashing against her fathers. Couldn't be both no matter what angle he watched from the laws of time refused to mend around it.

Now he had to fix it. A muscled in his jaw worked at the thought, dull nails digging into his palms trying so hard to break skin. The Doctor wanted Rose to beg him for help. Licking war wounds only helped so much to cool the betrayal building within him. He wanted to see her scramble to fix time, but he knew she would never see through his eyes. Could never feel how wrong this was. She’s just a kid.

At that thought it was as though someone threw a bucket of cold water over his head. He left a child to deal with the ramifications, Shadow Proclamation aside, she’s probably blissfully unaware of how dangerous this had become.

Oh, he knew he would have to go back eventually for her. But he had to get away for a moment of solace at least, because to fix this himself he would have to... and to her own father. Rose’s father. She just had to save her father. Not that Pete didn’t already die once, but now the blood would stain his hands. The Doctor slouched into himself, and stared unseeing at the Time Rotor.

When all’s said and done he’d have to take Rose home. Not only did she muck up time, but after what he’s about to do she’d never want to see him again. He cringed to think of those eyes, ever so curious and full of wonder, turned cold at the sight of his face. How easily she would smile, and now she would snarl. She'd blame him, as she should. He allowed this to happen, and the result is his to bare and his alone.

Slowly the Doctor worked the controls. Landed smoothly mere seconds after he left. London, Earth, November 1987. Each step to the door felt heavier than the last. The Doctor hated himself more the closer he got. Everything; all his fault. He knew the potential disaster of crossing ones own timeline. Knew the consequence of altering it. Still he trusted her to act mature without the knowledge he himself had and took for granted. He should have known better, but she made him weak.

Never again.


	2. Leave Me

The Doctor focused on the scrape of his boot hitting the pavement. Didn’t want to think about what his mission had become. Wouldn’t- couldn’t plan.

As he neared the Powell Estates he pictured her still doting over precious trash of the past. Told himself that he was just heading up to fetch her. It was time to go after all, couldn’t dally since they’d already accomplished what they came to do.

Up the steps he bumped shoulders with a passerby, nearly ignored it, till he noticed who it was.

“Goin’ somewhere,” the Doctor asked, all smiles. “Pete?”

“Got a weddin’ to catch,” he said in a rush.

The Doctor glanced beyond the steps to the door of the Tyler flat.

“She using the loo?”

Pete turned his head, eye narrowing in question. “Who?”

The Doctor took a deep breath, trying and failing to not look at Pete like he devolved into the mammal he was so fond of naming his species by. “Blonde? Ringin’ any bells up there?”

“Sorry mate, your problem.” Pete lifted the vase in his arm slightly, smiling tightly in apology. “Bit of a rush.”

Pete turned and hurried down the steps. The Doctor watched his retreating figure, wondered how different the world would be if he had lived to Rose’s time, but quickly averted his gaze as the guilt became too much. Could feel the bile rising within him even now at the idea of what he had to do. He shook it off and decided first to get Rose.

The flat was locked. He sonicked it and silently slipped in, half expecting her to be waiting for him. Empty. Of course.

The Doctor closed his eyes a moment to compose himself. The wedding. _Of course_ she’d be at the wedding. Getting a souvenir photo with herself as a baby. Probably even having chips with her mum, revealing lottery numbers, stock market history. He squared his shoulders and jogged off the estate, wondering how in the universe he could right this... _thing_ Rose created.

Truth be said, he wasn’t mad at Rose. Not directly. What the Doctor actually wanted was to wail at the universe. Laugh ruefully at what it threw at him, and point out every misgiving it’s ever caused if only to relieve some of the ever present ache in his chest. Of all it’s ruined it had to be her. The only good thing to swing into his life since the moment she dangled from a chain and saved the day true tarzan style.

He almost smirked at the memory, but the church was already coming into view. A flood of people blocked his attempts to spot Rose clearly. So, he dived right in.

And found Jackie Tyler.

“Who do you think you are?” She sneered at the Doctor. Her nose crinkled, hinting disgust at his attire. He nearly did the same at the sight of her, but somehow repressed the urge.

Pete approached them, squeezing between two people as he did. “Lay off him, Jacks. He’s properly invited, ask his friend.”

“Yeah? How would you know? His _friend_ the reason you were late?”

“Oh, shut up,” the Doctor bellowed over their bickering. “Point to my companion and I’ll be gone.” He rounded expectantly on Pete.

“How should I know?” His eyes darted between the Doctor and Jackie. “I’ve been scrambling to get here since that car nearly did me in earlier. You were there. You saw.”

“Don’t you dare be thick with me.” The Doctor gravitated closer to Pete, noses almost touching. “Same name as you daughter, **saved your life** , and you can’t remember her?”

“Daughter!?” Jackie screeched. “Barely walked off with your life, you said. Or was that just an excuse cause your foolin’ around ended up with something extra? I can’t believe you.”

“Jackie.” Pete held his hand out to reason with her. “It’s nothing like that.”

“But it’s something, isn’t it? Always is, what was it last time?”

“I didn’t even know her. She was a-”

“Enough!” The Doctor firmly shouted. “Where’s Rose!?”

“Rose,” Jackie nearly whispered. She held her head suddenly, Pete mirrored her gesture. “Rose is...”

Pete quickly gave his head a strong shake. “Lookin’ for a flower, mate?”

The Doctor watched them warily. Fear slowly raked its cold claws up his spine the longer he listened.

“No, shush.” Jackie swatted Pete. “I can almost...” She stared into the distance as if trying to remember if she left the kettle running or not. Then Jackie looked up at the Doctor, questions written all over her features.

At that moment he knew. Oh, he knew. And he ran.


	3. Where oh Where has My Little Ape Gone?

The Doctor stumbled up the ramp inside the TARDIS. Regained balance only when he grabbed the console. He turned switches and levers as his frantic eyes landed on them. His head leaned to the monitor even before his body caught up.

No.

No no no NO!

Scanned the entire planet; nothing. No life signs, no foreign temporal footprints, no Rose. She’s gone. No.

He dropped his head, eyes tightly shut, mind tumbling one idea over the other. She's not gone, lost, the Doctor told himself. Wandered off again. She's getting too good at that. A choked laugh broke from his lips.

The Doctor punched the metal that lined the console, abruptly halting his train of thought. His emotions can run all over his every waking thoughts after, and only after, he’s considered every possibility.

Now.

To be terribly blunt, the universe snuffed out Rose Tyler. In a bizarre coincidence the Doctor had planned for this to happen, just not so literally.

Although it’s the equivalent of blasphemy to his people, the Doctor could utilize the TARDIS to toy with the threads of time. Rearrange it to where the Doctor and Rose’s timelines had never weaved into this era. Resulting in any and everyone from 1987 unable to recall the two. However, the changes they made while visiting would remain changed.

In short; a paradox.

So caught in his anger the Doctor didn’t want to entertain the possibility till he could see Rose. Because doing this would not only fulfil her selfish desires, rewarding her for standing against to the laws of time, but it would also be the Doctor kicking dirt on Gallifrey’s grave. Because the TARDIS would have to maintain the paradox in order for it to exist, eating away at itself, eternally feeding and creating false time. Not only that, but defiling the personal timelines of each individual who became affected by the Doctor and Rose while they sauntered through 1987. It’s abuse of power. Dangerous in a way that could tangle time itself. And the Doctor would forever feel it straining against his senses. It’s wrong. Went against what he stood for as a Time Lord.

But for Rose... if he could have just seen her. Weigh the repercussions while in her presence, maybe it wouldn’t have felt so heavy. He wouldn’t have let her off easy, sure, a good scare would do her good. Maybe leave her at Jackie’s for a few weeks. Nevertheless, for her, trifling with time became a choice.

Except for the part where he no longer had the luxury of options.

In a manner of speaking nature took it’s course. The timelines couldn’t stand Rose. So, it kicked her out metaphorically, and physically. Where she ended up is not both inside and out of a paradox, safe like he intended, but anywhere. Anywhere in the entire universe of time and space.

For whatever reason the universe would only accept Rose or Pete. And Pete won.

But where? The Universe can’t destroy, only redistribute.

Simple as that.

The Doctor let out a victorious laugh as he danced around the console. Redistributed! Fantastic! He set the coordinates, and aimed for the end of Pete’s timeline. Rose herself would be able to exist after the end of his timeline. Basically replacing Pete, like restocking the shelves with old merchandise after all else has been sold.

Huh.

Pete doesn’t die too far from Rose’s time, roundabout ten years from when they met.

The Doctor exited the TARDIS, half grinning because he could feel it. He could feel Rose’s beautiful golden timeline. Then he looked up.

His head jerked back, as if punched.

“Zeppelins?”


	4. The Distant Rose

Hangover? How? It didn't add up correctly, last Rose remembers she was... something to do with her father. That makes no sense, but the headache was murder enough to convince her something happened. Her cheek had pressed hard into where it laid on her fingers, stuck together with sweat, that peeled apart when she got up. Asphalt. Rose was lying on the road. Odd. That and -her eyes went wide- where’s the Doctor?

Slowly she stood, wide eyes darting to anything that moved. Alien. Alien people, alien architecture, alien fashion. Bloody hell, even the air tasted alien. No- wait. Rose smacked her lips together, tongue darting out in curiousity. Maybe it's sort of... oh. Oh.

Nope.

It might have been citrus if it didn't have that. Rose reeled at the pungent taste. What is that? Or better questions; where is this? What's going on?

Rose didn't realize she was backing up till her foot hit a wall. She tripped awkwardly then grounded herself by clinging to the side of the building with a backwards hug.

"Doctor?" Rose shouted, and repeated, steadily gaining volume as her panic increased. She needed to calm down, bystanders were starting to stare. Besides, it's nothing new. Alien planet; there's similarities to Earth if she just looks, but she can't. It's too foreign, too strange, too alien without the Doctor.

He wouldn't leave her here, but nothing's translating. No TARDIS in her head, ergo no Doctor. But she doesn't even remember visiting this strange planet.

"Alright, Miss?" A deep voice asked.

Rose turned her head fast enough to get whiplash. The alien that spoke had square lips, that's new. How does kissing work? _Focus._ Thin body, round face, squinty eyes, no... ears, bluish-reddish skin... hold on, is that a hickey?

Rose shook herself to respond, "M'fine. I think. I- I have an odd question though. Where are we?"

Under his calculating stare she felt her already high anxiety increasing.

So, she stammered on, "I’ve no idea how I’m here. This bloke, he was with me, an’ h- he was a bit cross. So I was wondering if he... if he left me..."

"This is Fruugetti, Miss."

"Frogetti..." she bit her thumbnail, partly muffling the rest of her sentence. "Is it close to Earth?"

He heartily laughed. "Do me a favor, Miss. If ya haven't already, dump this bloke o' yours.”

Rose humored him with a short sharp chuckle, “Few planets away then?”

“Planets?” his smile faded. He looked her up and down. “The nearest Earth colony is more than a few light years away.”

Her jaw dropped.

“So sorry, Miss.” He hesitantly motioned his arms to the right, she saw a few... neon -no just sort of alien glowing- signs up ahead. “I work the pub a few blocks down from here. You’re welcome to phone a ride if need be.”

“No, I-” Rose read the signs, trying to memorize where he was should the need arise, but couldn’t make out what the dashes and squiggles meant. Then it hit her. “How’re you understanding me?”

He shuffled his feet back and forth, features becoming alight as his eyes went skyward. “My grandmother was a bit human herself, taught me the words, never thought I’d use ‘em.” He fluffed his hair a bit then flattened his shirt by running a hand over his torso. “I must apologize, Miss, you do have me a bit starstruck.”

She blinked. “But... you’re so fluent.”

He blushed, or she supposes he did, his cheeks went a bit purple. "Thank you kindly, Miss. Me and a pal we, um, we practice."

"That's why you're here then?"

He nodded. "Yes, Miss. Gave me a right scare, you did. Any emergency that needs a doctor, well... no one here would've known."

So caught in conversation the most important topic had slipped from her mind. She frantically searched the aliens in the area, panic returning full force. “No, it’s his name, the Doctor. Is he here? Have you seen him? He looks human. Northern accent, black leather jacket, big ears.” She could hear him even now shouting _“oi”_ indignantly to her last statement, but bit back a smirk at the thought.

“No, Miss.” He gently shook his head, cautiously extending a hand as if he were approaching a frightened animal. “I've not even seen someone remotely human in sixty years.”


	5. Misplaced

What a joke.

Lost. What is he? A leashed dog?

Intergalactic news feeds, web streams, and posters. Posters! Ha! Found one at that Open Star Bazaar he accidentally trashed the other day while hunting down that peddler who tried selling the local monarchy. In his defense, they did look like bees, but still... Anyway. Lost. Him? Never. Yet it reads:

Lost: The Doctor.

Gender: Male.

Species: Time Lord.

Last Seen Wearing: A black leather jacket, jeans, boots, and green jumper.

Distinguishing features: Blue eyes, close cropped hair, big ears, -he yelped indignantly to that- slightly hooked nose, mole below right cheekbone, and another left-center below his lower back.

His eyebrows skyrocketed. No one knows about that. Well, no one knew about that.

There’s even a picture attached of ol’ leather ears. The Doctor looked down at his pinstriped suit, and trainers. Someone’s searching for a dead man. Searching for him. Oh, that’s dangerous territory. In no way shape or form did he feel like dealing with anyone nosing through his past again.

They’re going about it all wrong, whoever this is. A child’s approach to luring him in, outdated information, and -really- a lost poster? Who in their right mind would try and claim rights to him. As if he could be housed and owned, like a pet.

He giggled at the notion.

They’re clever, whoever this is. He might fall for it. It’s tempting. So, so tempting. He’s laughed. Twice! A lost poster. A lost poster! That’s just... that’s brilliant it is. It’s a big fat blunt “I want you.” This person, they’re not lying. No hidden intentions. It says so right here: Lost.

So.

The Doctor tossed the appropriate levers, and landed on the planet, state, and city that had been listed. He walked out into the world and took a deep breath, stale air filling his lungs.

Time to see who wants him to come home.


	6. Private Eyes

He's pacing.

He's pacing, and biting his nails.

He's pacing, and biting his nails, and staring into nothing.

_That's normal_ , Tony supposed.

Mostly Tony was waiting for James to take a misstep and hit the door that's about an inch from the rut he's made in front of it. He's got a broken leg after all, why that doesn't change his nervous tics is beyond Tony. And remembering the time Tony sprained his knee, he knows it must be painful. Still, James hobbles. Hobbling is nice. Funny.

"Oh, my poor boy," Jackie abruptly pulled Tony into her bosom. "Barely eight. No time to be without a father. What am I going to do?"

Let go for one. James can see the whole thing, and Tony allowing his mum to comfort him is already embarrassing as it is. James didn't need comfort, so why should he? Yet, despite how he squirmed, she held fast. So, he relented. Hoping her arms were enough to hide the fact that he's there.

But then Tony thought about why he's there. The emotions welled up, and he pulled away.

"Where's Rose?" Tony had to ask. Change the subject.

He refused to meet her eye. Tear stains, smeared mascara, whole body exuding empathy. He can still remember how she looked, and it doesn't help. She extended a hand, petting him, consoling him. Also doesn't help.

"Rose is at work. Organizing Torchwood." She spoke softly, sniffling every now and then. "Mickey's taking over now. You remember Mickey?"

He evaded her coddling words. "Then why's James here?"

"He's takin' care of us," she said. Then snidely remarked, "can't even keep his head straight. Don't understand why himself hasn't bolted out the doors yet. Not like he's any use to us here."

Suddenly, James rounded on her, finger pointing dangerously close to her nose. Jackie straightened her posture, readying herself for a row. Then James' cheeks puffed up with air, he exhaled through pursed lips, and grabbed the living room coffee table. Using that as a chair, he scooted closer, knee to knee to cast-coated knee with Tony and Jackie.

"Listen. I understand what you're going through." James began.

"I know." She snapped. "Don't need to spell it out. Pete-"

"-left behind a mess of work. Rose, Jake, and Mickey are doing their best to-"

"Then get your bloody arse out there and do something!" Jackie interrupted, nostrils flaring. "I want Rose home, right now!" She gestured an arm up and down at him. "Like I need a bloomin' babysitter. Rose hasn't coped at all since the funeral, no one has. No one's had the time-!"

"We're all aware!" James shouted. "You think I enjoy being in your royal presence!?"

Tony tensed. Not normal. He cupped his ears, but found their thunderous faces scarier with muted words.

So, Tony extracted himself from his mother's side and scurried out the door.

He should find Rose. She's good at normal. But once he got off the Tyler property and into town he realized that he might not know where Torchwood is.

Where he did end up though had a pretty view of Big Ben. At the sight of it he wanted to hear a story about Peter Pan. A boy who never aged. Or a man who never aged. The Doctor. The man James claims he once was. A miracle worker.

But James has a broken leg. The Doctor wouldn't have a broken leg. Rose said so.

"Zeppelins?" Came a deep voice to his right.

Tony turned to the source, saw everyone parting around a big blue box as they absentmindedly avoided it, and gaped.


	7. Stranger in a Strange Land

It's staring at him.

The Doctor doesn't like it.

So, he turns his focus instead on Rose's timeline, but it's all over the place. Traces in and over every part of London. That's not right. She can't have been here more than a week. He intended it as a bit of punishment. That, and he'll have to create a plethora of new rules for her should she return since -of course- Rose blundered into 1987 and threw all time on it's head. Now there's zeppelins. What the hell happened to all the fuss over the Hindenburg scare?

"You're the Doctor!" Came a squeaky voice from below.

Ah. The staring thing. So he knows him. Too young for the Doctor to have screwed up his childhood. Old enough to have heard stories. But what kind? The Doctor gave the boy a once over; ginger, bright brown eyes, pale skin, eight or nine years old. Then returned to his observation. He must have miscalculated. Rose's timeline stretches for miles around this time. The whole hours to years mix up again... He only felt a little remorse.

"Know me then?" The Doctor asked. He leaned back against the TARDIS doors, arms crossed.

"My big brother was you once!"

The Doctor faltered and crinkled his eyebrows. "'Scuse me?"

The boys eyes sparkled when he realized he had the Doctor's full attention. "My brother says he was you when you was, um, recenter... recentergated!"

The wind knocked out of him. "Regenerated?" His jaw went slack. He tried to puzzle the kid out, and asked, "Who's your brother then?"

"You're him!" He all but yelled. "'Cept you're also the Doctor! I love the Doctor." He bounced giddily in place. "Can we go see Woman's Weeped? I know everything of it. Rose says the whole entire planet got frozened in a second, an' it's beautiful. I wanna see too, please, please!?"

The Doctor found himself staring at this impossible thing. “Rose... Tyler?”

“S’my big sister! She’s gone with ya once, she has. It’s my turn, let’s go.” The boy grabbed his hand and yanked the TARDIS door. “It’s locked.”

“Course it’s-”

Suddenly it opened. The Doctor pulled the boy back before he had a chance to enter. “What did you do?” The Doctor lifted the boy’s hand to better look at him and found a key dangling from his neck. The Doctor snatched it off. It’s Rose’s.

“I’m borrowing that, give it,” he fumbled for the key which the Doctor held just out of reach.

“Your sister?” He articulated each word. “Rose Tyler?”

The boy gave him an odd look. “Yeah? What of it?”

That can’t be right. None of this is right. This can’t be Rose’s key, because he took that back. The Doctor retrieved said key from his pocket and touched the two together. No temporal energy feedback, but they’re definitely the same. How?

Exhausted, he ran a hand down his face. Great. Fantastic. Is Rose even the same anymore? All signs point to her timeline resetting, creating a whole new Rose that’s still Rose, but different. A parallel world in other words. Apparently she still knows the Doctor, but that’s impossible. The Doctor would have two different timelines running through his head the moment time reasserted itself. The original, and the new.

“Why can’t we go? You’re the Doctor, you love adventure. It’s not fair. I want to go.” The end of his sentence cracked, and the Doctor found himself on the verge of a very nasty scene in front of a very nasty amount of people.

“Now, hold on.” He held up a finger. “I just got here. Adventure can wait. First I need you to tell me, where’s Rose?”

He looked up, eyes still misty. “Mum says she’s at work.”

“Work?” The Doctor’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s got a job? Doin’ what?”

“S’Torchwood.” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “She does work with aliens. Even got me a lazor once, it’s really cool, makes ice.”

The Doctor took the boy’s hand and started down the street. “Let’s drop by and give her a visit then. By the way, what’s your name?”

He beamed, swung their joined hands to and fro and shouted, “Tony!”


	8. Stuck in the Middle with You

It’s gorgeous.

The alien glowing signs are suddenly **English** alien glowing signs. That sweet n’ spicy bread-like gum Rose’s been eating all week; Hum-Hum’s! The blend of conversations huddled around her, as she focused on individuals, spoke her native tongue. And all at once this strange place felt so much more welcoming.

Beautiful.

Wonderful!

Then all her excitement traveled from her smile to her legs. Rose dashed around buildings, peeked through alleyways, surveyed sidewalks. The TARDIS is here. She has to be.

Although, one too many turned corners later Rose couldn’t help the whispers of doubt. The Doctor could be anywhere on the planet, that’s how far the translating can work, right? It might not even be him. Some funny coincidence that makes everything English would fit quite well into this already maddening situation.

Already feeling winded, Rose took two heavy steps into her tenth alley. And... and there she was. Rose nearly sobbed at the sight. Her brows furrowed. Yet she chose instead to snicker into her trembling hand.

Unable to do otherwise she ran to the TARDIS, slammed into the doors, and yanked the handle. Locked.

Rose reached for her key, and hooked her fingers around the air at her neck. Cold dread flittered through her veins. He took it back. He abandoned her, and confiscated the key to his home.

Feeling beyond drained, she nudged her forehead against the doors.

“Doctor, I... please open the doors. I get it, you left me here to... I don’t know, think about it. Could’ve sent me to the corner if that’s what you wanted...” she paused. The gentlest caress at her temple sent soothing waves throughout her entire body. She nearly buckled into herself, not having felt so... so safe in so long. Not here. The message broke Rose out of her reverie. It wasn’t so much words as a feeling. The Doctor’s not in.

Rose backed off it, still half pulling the door handle just in case, and used her free hand to probe her head. It’s as though the TARDIS knew her mind, but in a creepy one sided way. Almost as though a stranger had given the TARDIS a key to get inside her thoughts.

“Bloody weird ship.” Rose muttered.

A spike of electricity bit her fingers. Rose jerked away and nursed the offended appendage by sucking it.

She huffed, defeated. “Alright. M’sorry...”

Rose tentatively touched the door again, scrutinizing it. The TARDIS had never felt this way before. Rose knew she was sentient, but this... She acted familiar with Rose, hummed under her touch. That’s wrong. A tingling sensation trickled ominously up her arm. Okay. Not wrong. Different.

Turning on her heel, she walked away. Staying longer, thinking suspiciously about this. Well, that’s looking a gift horse in the mouth.

The TARDIS is here, meaning the other can’t be too far behind. The Doctor, and -possibly- trouble. Maybe not in that order, but finding one leads to the other.

A week. That's how long it's been, and it's been long enough for Rose to accept that she's not wanted anymore. Except. She didn't want to leave on bad terms, since that's where this is going, but she doesn't know what to say. How to mend their relationship, if that's even possible at this point. She's not going to apologize for saving her fathers life. Why it upset him... that's beyond her.

One thing she did know how to address though is why the hell he left her here of all places. Stuck in an alien city called Fruugetti on the planet Tempus Fugit. Rose wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for Alexandre, the bloke who found her the first day. He and his mate Yves are the only one’s capable of communicating with her out of the entire planet.

That and this place is so... _bizarre_.

Age means nothing. Rose spoke to a child the other day using polite, simplistic phrases. And was promptly chastised because he was seventy-three. Then turn around, the next day she hears a story of an infant who died of old age.

Same thing goes for objects. Rumor has it that there was a man who finally invented a machine to fix this problem, but it rusted over and broke mere seconds after he had it all put together. While entire houses have stood through decades with nary a speck of age to show.

But that’s not the worst of it. There are these creatures that -apparently- arrived along with her. No one knows what they are. They move as though they’re liquid, traveling any direction like water pulled by gravity. Appearance-wise they have chameleon skin, in a sense that they blend in. It never looks right though. Depending on where the creatures are going, like if they were to crawl over a brick, some would take on the color of the brick before they touch it, while the other half would camouflage themselves to it way after. That and... they eat flesh. They tend to favor Rose though, she can’t sit still without them popping up and nibbling her skin. And they do, literally, pop up. Out of nowhere at times. Water bodies that fall from the ground, air, or sky. Gathering to one spot like droplets to the center of a leaf.

“Now, let's be reasonable.” Said a man as he backed out of Alexandre’s Pub, arms out as if to hold someone back if need be. “There are others methods of expelling anger. Have a good shout!” He yelled, and that’s when Rose saw who was prowling out the door after the poor man. Tristan. The routine angry drunk. Rose began running toward them. No way this can end well. “Color my name if you like. After all it's much safer to throw a good word instead of-”

Tristan clocked him square in the face. The poor man went out like a light, gangly limbs sprawling all over the sidewalk.

“Hey!” Rose called out. Tristan scowled at the sight of her, waved dismissively, and trudged off. “Stop coming back,” Rose growled, mostly to herself, but then Tristan turned half toward her, as if contemplating whether or not she was worth another fight. He gave her a long hard glare, and she zipped up. Right. TARDIS. Luckily he continued walking, so she tended to the latest victim.

Oh.

Well he’s-

Oh.

He’s human. Very human. Very... handsome.

Beside the nosebleed.

Alexandre was leaning against the pub doorway, frowning at her. “Now, how'd you manage that?”

“Manage what?” She asked.

“That!” He came close, pointing at her mouth for emphasis. “That... that's not fair. Was hopin' to keep you all to meself, but you've got native...”

She rolled her eyes, “I've not gone native. It's the TARDIS! She's here and she's blue,” Rose caught her breath, momentarily overwhelmed. “And she's perfect!”

“Guess it’s true then, learning our tongue in a week’s got to be impossible. Your Doctor here then?”

“No, but-” a movement caught her eye. Those liquid creatures had gathered at the man’s hand, already getting a good taste of his palm as he slept unawares. “Help me get him in.”

Rose took the man by the legs, and Alexandre scooped him up under the arms. Once inside, they propped him up against the corner of the bar counter, and slammed the door shut in those creatures faces. The creatures then scattered off the sidewalk, into nothing, as they came.

Rose pulled a pink plaster out of her bag then lifted the man’s hurt hand. It contrasted greatly against his brown pinstriped suit. So she found herself giggling a bit at the color. “The Doctor made me carry these plasters cause I nicked my arm running through the-.” She bit her lip, looked at Alexandre over the bar counter and asked, “Got any disinfectant?”

He nodded understandingly, and handed her a spirit from the shelf. “Run this over it, should work the same.”

Rose poured the liquid over his wound, which was about the size of a bottle top. Suddenly the man hissed and arched his back, face screwed up in anguish. She thought they were going to finally get a few words out of him until his head rolled off the corner of the bar, and landed on the ground. Hard.

Alexandre peered over at them. “Blimey, Rose. Kill him over why dontcha.”

She pulled a face, cringing sympathetically for him. Then, ever so carefully, she lifted his head into her lap to examine it. “Got quite a bump here...”

Her hands traveled through his hair, searching for more injuries. But the texture seemed to draw her in. The man had a really soft, really great mop of hair.

Alexandre spoke through a stifled laugh, “Got a bit more knocks ‘round there too?”


	9. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Accelerated self healing. That's a marvelous thing.

Having been thumped thrice, the hemorrhages were decidedly taking awhile to mend. Well. Eighteen minutes, and thirty-eight point... fifty-four seconds.

His eyes flew open, and he sat up. Times up. Fully healed. The Doctor flexed his hands and immediately found his rights movement hindered. A plaster was wrapped around the outer edge of his palm. He doesn't need it anymore, still it's pretty. Very pink. Very... Rose.

“Rose!” A deep voice broke over the sea of conversations in the pub. “Your patient’s kicking.”

At the name the Doctor went wide-eyed, staring down the man's line of sight to a long haired blonde. She set down a mug and rag then rushed around the bar to the Doctors side.

“Sorry,” she blurted, half reaching for his head. “Your head I, um, I dropped it myself after Tristan punched you out back there.” Then she threw out her hand. “My name's Rose.”

“A blushin' schoolgirl, she is,” one man said to another.

She glared back at the two and pointed using her previously proffered hand, “That’s Alexandre and Yves. They’ve been takin’ care of me.” Rose dropped her head and laughed. “Sorry.” Then she looked him right in the eye, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen another human being. How’d you even get here?”

The Doctor nearly whispered, “My... ship?”

Oh, this isn’t fair. Throwing out a face he once wore on a lost poster is one thing. Recreating Rose is a whole new level of... no. Just no. The Doctor squinted at Rose's face to study her critically. Too good of a recreation actually. They captured her nineteen year old appearance perfectly.

The Doctor discovered all too late that he had been gravitating closer only after she leaned too far back and landed on her bum.

“You can wipe that look off your face,” Rose snapped. Oh, was he scowling? “Alexandre will help care for you, alright?”

As the Doctor watched her stand, he couldn't fathom why. Why her? Why here? Why now? What would anyone gain by using her? Oh, he had a good idea of what they probably thought they could do with her to get to him, but he left her on that beach with resolute intentions. Rose is happy with his clone. And gone. Everything between him and her is locked a parallel world away. This- this thing means nothing to him. Those emotions... no. He should leave. Go. Now.

“Mind if I use this?” Rose held up a plastic bag.

Alexandre nodded. “Careful now. Baggin' those buggers won't stop them from havin' a good meal.”

Rose scratched around one of the many plasters stuck to her arms. “Yeah. The Doctor's going to want one though, I know him. And if anything it'll be a good conversation starter.”

Alexandre softened. “You can't still think he left you on purpose. Sweet young girl like you.”

The Doctor jumped up, snatched Rose's arm, and ripped a plaster off.

Rose cried out and Alexandre came to her side in an instant. He shoved the Doctor aside and stood part ways between him and Rose.

Alexandre stomped forward, towering over the Doctor as he clenched his fists. “You better have a damned good explaination for that.”

“Those wounds aren’t healing.” The Doctor turned the plaster over in his hand then licked the blood seeped into the fabric. Alexandre and Rose gaped, both dumbfounded and disgusted by his actions. “What did this to you?”

Rose’s voice raised incredulously, “Did you just taste my blood?”

“It’s fresh,” he said matter-a-factly.

“That’s sick.”

“It’s wrong. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you received that wound seconds ago, but I do, and you didn’t. I’d also wager that the rest of your wounds haven’t been healing as well.”

“Well, no... but-”

“Then what did this?”

Rose puffed the bag out an inch from the Doctor’s nose. Caught off-guard, he stepped back and barely resisted the urge to yelp.

“God you’re rude. I’m headin’ out for one now. Follow if you like.” With that, she left.

The Doctor nodded and smiled under Alexandre’s heavy gaze then set out after her.

Only to catch a glimpse of Rose going around a corner at the end of the sidewalk. He jogged to keep up and almost rammed into her still form waiting at the turn.

“You came with the Doctor didn’t you? It’s no coincidence that a human pops up the same time the TARDIS does.” Rose stated with a no-nonsense air about her. “Don’t believe in coincidences since I met the Doctor.”

So authoritative. How Rose, taking charge when he’s not around. Wait.

“You don’t recognize me?” The Doctor asked, somewhat offended.

She blinked. “Should I?”

“Well...”

Should she? This duplicate Rose is young-ish. Still sporting long hair. It does make sense that she act to fit his previous face if that’s who this trap was set for.

“Did he send you then? To get me?” Rose seemed to deflate as she picked the hem of her shirt.

Swept in his thoughts, he had to puzzle out her change in demeanor. “What?”

“The Doctor,” she raised her volume then returned to sounding so much like a child. “he was... is he still steaming about-? Nevermind. I'll just... is he around here?”

Nope. Still couldn't tell. She's talking about him. Other him. But he -this him- was lost. And she probably knew that because of the blank look he knew he was wearing.

“I saw the TARDIS nearby.”

Still nothing.

Frustrated by his lack of response she set her hands on her hips and demanded, "Who are you anyway? Where'd the Doctor get you? He was so touchy last time about letting a pretty boy on board-"

He understood that! Quite happily. In fact he didn't even try to hide his building grin.

“Pretty?” he chirped. “Really? You think so? Never actually heard you say that."

Now she appeared to be lost. Right. They just met. Technically.

“Why do you need the bag?” He queried as he lightly kicked to the plastic. Switch the topic.

She pursed her lips then raised her eyebrows at said item and took a deep breath to say, “Doesn't take much, only got to be solid. They slip right through cloth.”

“They being?” He hinged his sentence to allow her a chance to elaborate.

“Won't be long,” she said instead.

Rose slumped against the wall. So the Doctor did the same. He took that moment to analyze her profile. She looked exhausted. Beat up, and... weak. Who would do this? He hates to admit it, but this is good bait. However, the puppet master better show up soon. The longer he waits, the more his patience wanes. So, why does he wait? Actually, he doesn't know whether to wait, demand answers, or leave. He should leave. But... this whole setup makes no sense.

So, alternatively he’ll stick to autopilot. Taking things as they come against his better judgement until the mystery unravels. He's good at that.

“Booger brain!” a young voice called from across the road. The Doctor frowned at the two children who were looking directly his way and laughing.

“Weirdo!” said the other.

“I knew you two weren’t saying nothing good!” Rose shouted.

They clammed up. Then one nudged the other and they ran like the devil’s at their heels.

“Finally showed them,” Rose huffed. “...I guess. At least kids speak their minds. Everyone else just sorta keeps it to themselves, talk with their eyes, and so on.” She glanced at him. “Grew up on the Estates, know when someone’s spreadin’ a rumor behind my back. Not exactly a rumor this time, but it’s still wrong.”

“Ah. Gossip? Everyone loves a juicy story, and if my eyes don't deceive me, you are very much a foreigner in these parts.”

"Not that...” she kicked the sidewalk. “There's a reason Alexandre's so protective. The people want me good and gone for what I brought to Fruugetti.” Without warning Rose leapt, and stumbled away from him. Then she poked a finger frantically at the ground between them. “Look!”

That's-. What is that?

The Doctor slipped on his spectacles and peered at it.

It fell from the veins of time itself, seeping out and taking physical from the fourth dimension. Normally invisible to humans, but -he glimpsed at Rose- she could definitely see it. Not just any normal leakage. Gluttonous soldiers sent with purpose. But with more density. Their target must be larger than the normal speck. Due to its size its transparent skin distorted the surface it landed on, reflecting the ground at odd times to the human eye.

The Doctor followed as it trailed away, pondering what it would devour, when the fluttering of plastic covered it in place. Rose turned the bag over and tied it closed, effectively capturing it. Looking all too proud, she threw it over her shoulder and began to walk down the road.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” He shouted.

“Got it for the Doctor, not for you!” She replied over her shoulder.


	10. Allow Me

He’s got the Doctor.

His very own Doctor.

His very own Doctor with a TARDIS!

Rose is going to be jealous. That being said, Tony doesn’t truly know where Rose is. And that’s who the Doctor wants. Tony scanned the crowds. Ah! A Chippy! Everyone in the universe knows the Doctor loves chips.

“Want some chips?” Tony asked.

But the Doctor had some man pulled aside at the moment, again, interrogating about Torchwood.

He knelt down to Tony’s height when the man left. “Are you fibbing?”

There’s more important things though. Like having chips with the Doctor. “You love chips, right?”

“Tony,” The Doctor stressed his name. “Where’s Rose?”

“Told you, Torchwood.”

“Funny how no one knows where that is.”

“Course they don’t, it’s secret. Aliens scare them.”

His jaw set. The Doctor stood and stared up at the buildings. Eyes tracing an invisible point in the sky. Then he abruptly stared downward and screwed his eyes shut. The Doctor jerked his head as if to clear it then strode deeper into the mess of downtown.

The Doctor’s leaving without him.

Tony struggled to keep up. But despite his small stature the daily commuters spared him no pity. Bulldozing into him when he tried to slip by. Eventually he lost sight of that leather-clad back and felt his heart sink. The water returned to Tony’s eyes all too easily. The Doctor’s gone. Like that. No fair. He just got here. They didn’t even ride in the TARDIS together.

“Doctor!” he sobbed.

“Nothing but tears, you are.” the Doctor said as he slipped a hand into Tony’s. And immediately released, nose crinkled at the snot that now coated his hand. Tony chose not to reply to that and instead buried his face in the Doctor’s jumper, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. The Doctor glanced up at a few of the curious eyes he gathered then awkwardly patted Tony’s back to clean his hand.

“Let’s try this. Do you know someone that knows where Torchwood is?” The Doctor rephrased.

“Da-” Tony broke off. That’s... that’s not an answer anymore. “James knows.”

“Please, tell me you know where James is.”

“He’s home.”

“An’ where’s home?”

“Um,” Tony thought back. How did he get here? No use retracing his steps, his directions got thrown when he got lost. Still, he knew how to go back from Big Ben. “Big Ben! I know how to get home from Big Ben.”

“Good.”

The Doctor led until they returned to the spot where they met. Then Tony happily guided the Doctor out of town. Back to the Tyler property where-

“Tony!” Tony’s mum shouted, sounding stricken.

She rushed Tony into an embrace, and after a healthy dose of constriction, he wobbled back to the Doctor.

Jackie took that cue to look the Doctor over. “Do I know you?”

“Jackie Tyler,” he tightly grinned.

Her mouth fell open. “No,” she said breathlessly.

“Mum, I knew it! You know him. He’s the Doctor, he is. I found him, and he’s going to take me on adventures now!” Tony bounced from foot to foot, thrilled to show the Doctor off.

She wrapped Tony into her arms. “You’re not takin’ another of mine.”

“Have you found him!?” James yelled as he dashed to them. When he saw the Doctor though, he adopted Jackie’s earlier expression. “What’s going on?”

Tony scooted out of her arms to tell James the news. “It’s the Doctor!” 

“You shouldn’t be here.” James told the Doctor quite seriously. “Can’t be here. What are you doing here?” James chattered on, half contemplating to himself.

“James, I’m assuming.” The Doctor addressed him. “Think you could direct me to Torchwood?” When James didn’t answer, the Doctor started to move past him to the mansion. Even with a cast, James swirled around to block him.

“Nonono. You’re in the wrong,” James blew a long breath. “Reality?” He nodded approval at his own statement. “Right.” Then promptly shook his head. “No. Wrong. Very wrong.”


	11. Full Circle

The Doctor was well aware of the fact that he’s in a parallel reality, he didn’t need some scatterbrained nutcase to spell it out. Still the matter at hand is that James has the knowledge to tell that this world is not the original, also he instantly recognized him. Is this good? Bad? ...The Doctor still weighing that.

Although so far he’s cast away Rose, not on purpose, mind. Dropped into an altered version of Earth. And discovered that Jackie can still procreate.

The Doctor shivered.

“What’s that look for?” Jackie demanded.

The Doctor ignored her and tried once more to get to the mansion. Maybe Rose’s new -altered- home holds some clues as to how everyone can still remember him despite the timeline reset. But again, James rounded on him, asking how he’s here. He himself hasn’t the tiniest inkling about what’s really going on to even begin to answer that, and discussing it with these domestic apes isn’t going to change that.

“I know. It's his fault those aliens are reapin' Rose,” Jackie accused.

James sighed, "They're not aliens, Jackie.” Then he directed the conversation to the Doctor. “The Reaper are soldiers of time.”

“Reapers?” The Doctor asked.

“Reaper,” James articulated. “Plural and singular. They've been deployed here to fix time. But I can't-” he paused, seemingly repressing his irritation. “I've lost the ability to observe timestreams, can't tell what they're after.”

“They're after Rose,” Jackie supplied.

“I know!” James grumbled. “But I’m unable to understand why.”

“See timestreams?” The Doctor questioned. “Who are you then?”

James smirked, “who was I is the proper question. I'm human now.”

“Rose!” Tony shouted.

They all switched their attention to the car pulling into the driveway. Rose was inside. Finally he can see her and straighten this out. Tony kept pace with Jackie’s speedwalk, and James could only limp, so the Doctor was the first one there when Rose got out.

And wasn't she just the picture of surprise upon seeing him. Rose went bug eyed, stumbled away, and the back of her head collided against the car doorway before she dropped onto the drivers seat. Not the emotional reunion he was expecting.

Rose rubbed her injury, biting her lip as she stared up at him. "James?"

That’s insulting. In what way was he like that blue hobbling lolly stick? The Doctor readjusted his stance to put some distance between them so he could take this in with what cool indifference. He had left. Rose is genuinely shocked. Not bursting with joy, but near panic. How long has it been? Rose is... old. Not elderly, but aged. About ten years, he'd say. Little wrinkles here and there, round cheeks gone. Wisdom in those brown eyes which once brimmed with questions.

“Rose,” James breathed heavily, leaning against the door to rest.

“James.” Rose stated, now with more certainty. “What's-?”

“No,” James threw his palm up. “I'm not sure what's going on. Try not to tell him too much about the future, because -somehow- he is most definitely the Doctor.” James tapped his forehead as if that answered everything.

She searched his eyes then stared at the Doctor. “How are you even here?”

“Million dollar question, that.” The Doctor finally admitted.

“You’re kidding,” she pressed her lips together, but still spluttered into laughter. “It’s always got to be an accident with you-”

“Rose,” James interrupted.

“He’s not going to get back if we have to tape our lips. He probably doesn’t even know where this is,” she told him. Then she threaded her hand through her hair. “Did you come in the TARDIS?”

“He did!” Tony exclaimed. “I saw it. It’s just like you said Rose! And the Doctor said he’s going to take  **me** on adventures, so you have to wait your turn.”

“Really?” Rose’s twinkling eyes went from Tony to the Doctor.

“I know where this is,” the Doctor said, suddenly cold. “Parallel world. One, I might add, your sticky fingers created.”

“Me?” Rose checked with James, who also appeared clueless.

“Pete Alan Tyler,” he told her.

And like that a shadow of tension fell over everyone in the immediate area. At the name they either froze, or instantly found the ground very interesting. Even Tony, who was bubbling with excitement, couldn’t act unaffected when he heard.

“Ah,” the Doctor forcibly smiled, trying to stay optimistic at what he caused. “I aimed for the end of his timeline, suppose I didn’t miss than?”

Rose opted to be the first to speak although her voice was devoid of any emotion. “His funeral was-” Rose paused. “Yeah. You made it to the right time... Why would you...?”

“Was lookin’ for you,” the Doctor answered. “Left you in 1987. Came back, and you were gone.”

James loudly reentered the conversation, “you came from 1987?”

Rose scrambled out of the car. “No! You need to go back!”

The Doctor pulled his head back. “Told you. I already did. Went to the wedding even. Pete and Jackie couldn’t remember you. Like you never existed.”

“But that’s,” James sounded flabbergasted. “Impossible. That means you came from a divergence in the causal nexus.”

“James,” Rose quavered, “what’s going on? That was chaos, I remember. He shouldn’t be here.”

“Whether Pete lived or died is a defining point of this universe and the main one. And more importantly, it’s where  this parallel reality branched off from. So the only way you can be here, with a working TARDIS, is if... is if you belong here in this parallel universe. A parallel Doctor.”

Rose and James gaped at him.

How in the universe did this human interpret the situation before the Doctor? He felt insulted, walking into this, and coming out the problem for others to solve. He was already confused, still is to some degree, and now his last failsafe -his knowledge- has just been thrown by someone who couldn’t possibly be wiser, but is. That’s not the way this works. That’s never the way this works.

“Where did you pick this one up?” the Doctor nearly growled as he glared down into James’ eyes, hoping to see him cower. Yet he held firm, glaring right back.

Rose floundered for words, motioning her hands between them. “He was- we met in our travels on the, um, the TARDIS.”

“Despite parallels this is your future somehow? Where’m I then?”

Rose reeled her hands in defensively, fiddling with her fingers close to her chest. Still sounding unsure in her explanation. “Well, you’re here. But in your future... we stayed... on Earth.”

Her nervous actions brought a valuable detail to his attention. He seized her left wrist, then swung her hand in for inspection. A wedding ring. James wore one matching.

This is it then. She left the Doctor to settle down. He might’ve known.

“Is this what traversing the stars was for you? Finding a mate? What species is he?”

Rose rolled her eyes, dropping her shoulders as if giving up. “Doctor, he’s...”

James finally piped in, beaming. “Hello, I’m the Doctor.”

The Doctor crossed his arms. “Doctor who?”

Rose bit her lip, first in anticipation, but now to hold back a laugh.

The Doctor turned to her. “Walked right into that, didn’t I?” Then he looked James over, still steaming, but trying to veil it. “Is this a joke? Same title as me?”

“Doctor.” Rose ran a hand across her cheek and just dived in. “He is you.”


	12. Last Straw

Standing outside the TARDIS waiting. That was useless.

The Doctor never returned, so Rose had to trudge back to the pub. One creature after another forming on her path, trying to get a chomp of her. By now she could easily sidestep them, but once she could she threw the pub door shut, making sure a few got a good smack in the process. Then Rose leaned heavily against the wall inside.

“Find him?” Alexandre asked as he leaned leisurely over the bar.

“No,” Rose replied. She held up her squirming bag. “Caught a... thing though.”

“Careful now,” he warned then tended to a customer at the opposite end.

Through the window Rose could see a familiar mess of brown spiky hair stalking one of the creatures down the sidewalk, and waited for- she didn’t know his name. This whole time she never got his name. Even though he’s technically her replacement as the Doctor’s companion.

The door opened, but he didn’t enter. He **allowed** the creatures in first. Rose panicked.

“What the hell’s the matter with you!?” Rose yelled at him as she darted between the pub’s tables.

“Trying to see what they’re after,” he mumbled, full attention on their movement. She shot him a dirty look, not that he saw. Is this man seriously so thick?

Eventually they had her cornered, she cursed knowing she should have escaped out the door when she had the chance.

“Alexandre!” she called. But he was out of sight, probably in the back organizing stock.

Gathering up her courage Rose leapt over the blockade, but one morphed upward and successfully caught her left foot. She fell to the ground, bumping a table over as she did.

“Let me go!” Rose grunted as she kicked a dent into the creature.

The rest did not hesitate to storm in, however just as quickly, they cowered back. Even the one that had her flew off and dissipated to whence it came.

“They're after you,” he stated. Although it sounded more like a question.

In his hand was the sonic screwdriver. Pointed right where the creatures once resided. He's already earned the Doctor's trust enough to carry that!?

“How'd you get that?” Rose demanded, still shaken from the attack.

Yet he continued with his one-sided conversation. “But that means... no...”

Rose got up and shoved his shoulder enough that he careened into the top rail of a misplaced chair. All that piling anxiety from the Doctor abandoning her here on this alien planet, now this barmy bloke who’s suppose to be her replacement, and the Doctor sent _him_ to retrieve her? That’s it. She’s done getting pushed around. If he was trying to upset her further, he's definitely achieved it.

When he bounced back, Rose repeated the action. He caught himself quicker that time, keeping full eye contact through the entire instigation. Then he swooped in to hold her in place by the upper arms.

“Rose,” he spoke in a hushed tone, hands trembling where he held her, and eyes sparkling with... something she really didn’t care to know about at the moment.

Rose stamped mercilessly into the toe of his converse.

Surprisingly, his firm grip didn’t relinquish. They both went wide-eyed at each other to that for their own reasons. Her brows knitted together, and he blew a prolonged uneasy breath between gritted teeth as she grinded her heel in deeper.

“Trying to make a point?” he managed to ask.

She lifted her foot and jammed it back onto solid ground. Resentment replaced with bafflement. Then she shifted her shoulders, getting comfortable since he appeared to have no plans of letting go anytime soon.

“You’re,” he groaned as he worked his foot in a circle. “You’re Rose Tyler.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Rose shot back. “Where’d the Doctor pick you up then?”

He blinked then shook off the last vestiges of pain. “I was forced upon him, in a sense. How did you get here?”

She was taken aback by the sudden turn of topic. “Me?”

“Yes. You. Because you are most certainly in the wrong time. I can see it.” He marveled at her, although his eyes seemed unfocused, which gave her an odd feeling of unease. So she brought a hand up to smack his side. All that energy Rose had prepared to fight him with was still lingering, and his peculiar behavior wasn’t helping her hold back.

He squirmed, then scowled at her. “You’re more violent than I remember. Now, can you give me an answer?”

“Hold on, you said remember,” she felt the need to point out.

“That’s not important." He swiftly brushed her observation aside. "Time could be in danger of unraveling at any second, unless you tell me how you got here  right now .”

Rose glowered at his urgency. What right does he have to order her about? “I don’t know how I got here. I woke up on the street a week ago. Before that, last thing I was doing...” she trailed off. That wasn’t anything she wanted to relive anytime soon. “Why do you need to know? Where’s the Doctor?”

“Just **tell** me,” he demanded.

“I don’t **trust** you,” was her irate rebuttal.

His fingers slackened. She easily slipped out of his grasp, but unexpectedly found she couldn’t hold her own weight, and crumpled into herself.

Rose bunched her pant leg up to examine the pained area. Her ankle had an unnatural splotchy bite mark from where that creature had her before. It looked gruesome. Blood seeped down into her sock and trainer. Rose wondered how the pain had escaped her notice until now.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Ah, right. That’s how.

“M’fine,” Rose informed him.

Despite her hostility she didn’t reject his help to stand, felt too weak to. But even with that, she needed his support further to make it to a chair. His sudden kindness threw her. And now with her earlier storm of emotions blown away by physical discomfort, she could see the compassion as he watched her, carried her. How gentlemanly. Absolutely opposite to his obnoxious antics earlier. Rose focusing on him, trying to get more clues off this maniac nameless man, but found her thoughts clouded.

“Are you sure?” His face swam into her vision.

“Yeah...” Rose shook her head, however instead of clearing, her thoughts got all jumbled up. Now she took his question into consideration. Is she alright?

Her head pounded. She cupped her forehead with clammy hands, and blinked rapidly. But all this only added onto a bout of dizziness which was slowly overtaking her.

Okay. No.

“M'gonna be sick,” she mumbled.


	13. Keep Pace

Impossible.

Unless she can replicate a perfect temporal signature this is, without a doubt, Rose Tyler.

Rose Tyler plucked right out of the past.

Oh was he thick. That should have been the first thing he checked. However the biggest problem blocking his deductions was, although it pained him to admit, his pride. He wouldn't give in, couldn't give in to such an obvious alluring trap. And why wouldn't it be a trap? Using Rose to spite his feelings would be all too easy considering how much he's fallen since Mars.

But there's no need to address that considering the current state of things. And that state being; a young Rose Tyler losing her lunch all over his footwear.

Rose's admission of illness propelled him into action. The Doctor touched her pulse, which was slow, but not alarming. Yet. Her wounds, here and there and ranging in size, weren't healing. And that gash in her ankle only sped the blood loss.

“Alexandre,” he called, but the man was already maneuvering to them having witnessed Rose go down. The Doctor pointed urgently to the bar. “Liquids! I need water, hurry!” Alexandre kept pace, ignoring the Doctor, muscles tensed. Raring to fight.

Every ounce of authority the Doctor ever wielded presented itself through the dire command in his voice. “Rose has not received proper medical care through her entire visit on the planet,  _ so I'm telling you _ , she needs water  **now** .”

Alexandre stopped. The air grew heavy between them for several moments. Even the customers around went silent. Then Alexandre doubled his pace, heading back for what the Doctor requested.

The Doctor swung an adjacent chair around to prop up her foot, and yanked the jean fabric apart at the seam. Then he did the same to the opposite pant leg. Good. The only injury on her legs is the most recent. “Right.” The Doctor dug through his pockets. “Rose Tyler, turn away if you feel the need to lose those chips of yours. Please and thank you.” The Doctor extracted a white bottle from his pocket, twisted off the lid, and scooped a generous glob out with his fingers.

“Alexan-?” The Doctor was cut off when Alexandre set two mugs of water down at the table. “Clean the blood,” he instructed.

Alexandre took one mug and poured the liquid over Rose's ankle. The blood diluted and flowed off with it.

The Doctor then smeared the goop onto her wound.

“Adhesive medical gel. Normally mends cuts and sores, then peels off on its own once they've vanished. But your wounds won't heal. This will work to stop the bleeding though until they can.”

The Doctor proceeded to remove her plasters, and replaced them with them with the gel.

“You alright?” Alexandre asked her.

Rose scrunched up her face, then wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

She took a deep breath, “Getting there.”

He smiled, “Good.” But his expression soured when he looked at the Doctor. “Can’t say I trust this one, but he looks human enough to know how to treat one.”

The Doctor took notice of his comment, but said nothing. Alexandre descends from an intellectual species of aliens. And it seems, that trait is still alive today. Interesting, and duly noted.

“But he is human,” Rose replied.

Alexandre chuckled, patted her head, then returned to the bar.

When he was done, the Doctor gave Rose the other mug of water.

“Be sure to keep your fluids up,” he advised.

She blinked, as if climbing out of her thoughts. He mirrored the action.

Rose carefully took the water, gaze unwavering.

“You tore my jeans,” she said.

“It was necessary.”

“My favorite jeans.”

He rolled his eyes. Her favorite jeans had a rose on the back pant pocket. “They're not.”

“They are now that no one knows what jeans are.”

Ah. Alien planet. But still.

“You have more in the TARDIS.”

She paused. “Are you a real doctor?”

He shrugged. “Of sorts. You lost a good sum of blood. Should be fine after a healthy rest.”

Rose nodded. Then asked, “where's  _ the _ Doctor?”

Still on that. He would tell her, but now he knows that would be corrupting timelines. Although... tempting.

“Those creeping crawling blobs of mass,” he said, distracting her and himself. “They're Reaper. Harmless. Ever hear that tidbit don't fear the Reaper? They're why. They're deployed to feed on broken time, other than that, hypothetically they can chew you for hours, and any damage would revert. No matter how extensive.”

“Not the case here then,” Rose mused.

The Doctor gave an exaggerated nod. “Normally it's just an odd fragment every so often. Time broken off from an unexplored possibility in this reality, left over from the deviation of a parallel universe. But the sheer number of Reaper gathered here means more than that.”

“Parallel universe?” Her voice pitched with interest. “Those exist?”

“Yeah.” His voice turned ragged. “A world basically the same as the one you live in, but... different. Like another version of you having purple instead of green as a favorite color. Turning left instead of right.”

“Or someone living when they should've died,” she finished for him, voice hollow.

The Doctor jerked his head in affirmation, rubbing his neck as he did so. That's happened for her then. Seems logical. She hasn't mentioned Jack, so that leaves a little window for him to return her to the correct place in time. And now that he knows that, he can relax a bit to figure out how she got here in the first place.

"Broken time?" She asked in a small voice, as if asking herself. "How do you break time?"

“Well,” he cocked his head left and right. “Fundamentally, it's an  _ impossible _ feat, but you Rose Tyler, are known for raising the bar on that.” He smirked at the sentiment. "Time is not a concept but a living flowing stream. Constantly moving. Changing. Bending. And, in your case, breaking. However, broken time itself is only something written of in history books. Stories. I've never actually seen the Reaper until today, they've always been far too small and scarce to observe. And they are,” he exhaled a laugh. “Beautiful! I mean, I expected a creature with abstract proportions, but this is more than-”

“Broken time.” Rose interjected, stress written all over her face.

“Right.” He backtracked. “Well... in laymans terms, broken time is the metaphorical remains of a splash in a timestream. Since we have already, let’s use a parallel universe as an example. As a parallel universe is born, an individuals timeline splits, it duplicates. One stays in the main reality, while the other falls into the new one. Broken time is an accidental occurrence, because at the moment the new universe is creating itself there are two of everything in the same existence. And they clash, reject one another like the same sides of a magnet, until the universe’s completely separate them. And the splash, as I so elegantly put it, is from this -timestreams running into one another- which pushes out droplets of time as the double’s fight for dominance. Have I lost you?”

Rose pulled away the hand that she was holding her head with. “No.” Her eyes darted about the room. “Yes.” She grimaced. “Sort of.” Then she quickly reached forward to reassure him. “But no, I’m getting it. Please, go on.”

And he happily did so. “The droplets are stagnant time, which is a type of broken time. Neither positive nor negative. It sits around, but eventually it will return to the timeline it got kicked out of before the universal split. Like an animal returning to its pack. However, some goes too astray, and ends up on the wrong side of the division. That’s where the Reaper come in. They take the broken time, use it like extra negative time, and scatter it to add onto the rest of the universe. Haven’t you ever wondered why life expectancy continues to increase?”

“So, this parallel,” she shut her eyes in concentration, “ **universe** .  _ An entire universe _ is created from one tiny thing changing in reality?”

The Doctor couldn't help but smile. Always perceptive. He wasn’t going to point out she was getting off topic, pot calling the kettle black, and so on. “ _ One tiny thing _ defines that world.  _ One tiny thing _ lives on in that world and that world alone. A person, an item, an idea. It creates a ripple effect. Imagine what would have happened if you decided not to go out one day. And that was the day you had seen an advert for a job. You’d have never taken the job, never met your co-worker, never run into certain people while you happen to be delivering something to said co-worker after hours.”

“So, if you change something in the past, it ripples to the future and... and it's my fault.” Her broken voice captured his full attention. “It's all my fault.”

He didn’t ask, couldn’t think of how to, just waited for her to continue.

“I...” She had to look away, recompose herself. “The Doctor... we went back in time to see my dad. The moment he died and I just... I saved him. And he got so cross, the Doctor, he took my key and left. I thought,” tears began to trail down her cheeks. “I didn’t think he’d actually leave. But it’s worse than that. He’s gone, isn’t he?” She looked at him then. “That’s why you can’t say where he is, isn’t it? I woke up here after he walked out, assumed the Doctor dropped me here like his version of a slap on the wrist. But that’s not it. I changed the past, so we never met.” She choked out a laugh. “My dad must be alive then, it worked.”

Well. This is... this is more than he thought. She’s throwing new pieces onto the board, and now it’s looking like a completely different puzzle.

“The last thing you remember; he took your key and left? No heading to the chapel? No monsters?” He asked.

Rose held her sleeve up to her nose. “No. Just, he took it and-,” she waved her hand. “I was here soon after... This must be why he was so mad. I didn’t think... if I’d have known...” She swallowed, voice somehow becoming clearer. “Is there a way to fix this? What exactly... How bad is it? The Doctor can’t be gone because I saved my dad. He can’t. I still remember our time together. And the TARDIS, she’s here.” Rose stated with growing conviction.

“Well, if what you’re saying is the truth...” he spoke calmly, not really wanting to upset her further, but knowing it’s probably going to anyway. “Then what you created was indeed a parallel world. One... I might know of actually. And if that is it then I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but he is not coming back.”


	14. Act Natural

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case I'm being too vague, chapters follow an order: Nine, Rose, Ten, then Tony. Also the parallel world is ahead of these two, so Ten will be taking over this chapter as well. Thank you for your patience, unless you enjoy Ten, in which case, you're welcome ;)

Oh.

Oh, no.

She’s crying -well, she was already crying- but this is...

The Doctor swallowed. Rose thinks he’s a stranger, but sitting here while she’s staring into nothing. Lost in her thoughts as tears track down her cheeks...

He reached forward, eyes locked on a spot above her head as he wrapped his arms slowly around her in case she were to pull away. However, she fell eagerly into the embrace, and sobbed silently against his chest.

He found himself holding her tighter. Emotions long since buried resurfacing as he contemplated  _ what now? _ This is the genuine article. Rose Tyler from the other end of the universal split. But why here? An alien planet instead of where she should have redistributed to; Earth. And the Reaper... why are they trying to eat her? Better question, why doesn’t she heal when they do?

Rose severed herself from the hug, eyes wide and confused, and one hand still on his chest from where she pushed away. “Who are you?”

Ah, so she’s remembered his stranger status. “Rose, you can trust me. Whatever is going on with the Reaper, I promise, I’ll fix it.” It only then occurred to him that he should be talking of how he’ll return her to her proper place in time and space. Selfish thinking quickly brushed that aside, Mars all over again, she won’t even notice- no. Not again. “I will try and return you to the Doctor.” He said with as much sincerity as he could muster up. “He’s in a parallel world, and... it won’t be easy. But I promise to try.”

She searched his eyes, voice soft. “Who are you then? I-” she bit the inside of her cheek. “Donno why, I didn’t think to question how you know all- everything. At first I thought the Doctor talked about me, cause you say things...” a distant look came over her. “No. It’s also that you- you know things... bit like...” She placed her palm flat against his chest. “and...” She stared at that spot, then met his eyes. Her next word came out on a breath, “Doctor?”

He worked his mouth, but couldn’t form a response. There goes his cool detachment. The Doctor wasn’t trying to hide who he is, but now if he was going to go through with returning Rose, he didn’t want her to know. He already dreaded the thought of leaving her for a second time. And her knowing who he is isn’t going to make this easier.

The Doctor got up, and away from her. “Where you came from. I always thought it was a possibility. See, Pete died in this universe, but you saved him. That did not happen in this universe, but that’s the consequence of time travel, there’s a universe where it did.”

“It is you,” Rose got up, winced and wobbled, but approached him anyway. Rose took his hand, he wanted to pull away, but refused to show how vulnerable he felt. She giggled a bit and cleaned her face with her other sleeve, examining his hand, still too unsure to look at him directly. “It’s like when we first met all over again. Me askin’ who you are, and you getting so,” she shook her head in good humor, “defensive. Time Lord, you finally said. Only Time Lords look human and got two hearts, one of a kind, like you were braggin’.”

He felt the tension draining the longer she went on. So, she heard his hearts with the hug? He never was good at hiding those. “Always trying to lighten the mood,” he relented.

“Can’t blame me for trying. Alien planet, Reapers, different universe. Yeah, let’s have a laugh.” She met his eye then. “I’m not just being crazy, yeah? It’s you. It’s really properly you?”

“Right on the mark.” He slowly started, still wondering if he should retract the information somehow. “First time we met,” his mouth quirked into a smirk, “run. And who can forget Jackie? First time we met I'll have you know, she batted her eyelashes.” He made a face. “Big ears, big nose, didn't scare her away, no. She found it charming. Course, turned her down, next time she sees me.” He shook his head. “One hell of a slap.”

“Oh my god,” she held a hand to her chest. Then took a tentative step closer. “Why do you look so... different? Are you the parallel Doctor?”

“That’s a good way to put it,” he considered. “A better way would be to say I’m a possibility. In this universe I traveled with you, Rose Tyler, so long ago. Everything that has happened between us still happened, but we didn’t get separated here after we went to see good old Pete. We stayed together long enough for you to learn a Time Lord’s way around death. Time Lords we, uh, we regenerate into a new person. New face, personality, but same memories, core values,” he squeezed her hand, “emotions.”

She released him. “You change, and it’s normal? When did you tell parallel,” she corrected herself, “possibility me about this?”

He flexed his empty hand. “It just sort of happened, actually.”

“This is already mental enough,” she swiped the remains of smeared make-up from her face. “An’ we’re only talking about it. But you were dying, and she had to find out during all that?”

He’s already got this once from her, of all the things to repeat, it has to be this? “I didn’t plan on dying!”

“But it could have happened.”

“I expected it to be possible, yes,” He said, voice raising. “But I considered it as possible as it would have been for me as it would have been for you,” his expression fell at the admission. “So in a sense I wanted to pretend that it would never happen.”

She went completely sympathetic. Turned into herself slightly then fell into a chair. “Sorry.”

The Doctor sat across from her, watching as she bit her thumbnail. How wizard. She's only just deviated from the Rose he knew, and already she's becoming so different. Originally Rose rejected regeneration from the start, having trusted him for so long, she was solid in the belief that she knew everything about him. This Rose, if he remembers correctly, thought she had been abandoned. Left by a man she's known for a few months or so, and now a bit desperate for something familiar, readily clings to the fact of what he is.

He chuckled at the thought. A study on Rose. Yet still he wanted to learn more. How much would she vary from the Rose he last knew?

He swiftly crushed that curiosity. No use for that.

“Up you pop.” The Doctor sprang to his feet. “I need the TARDIS to answer a few questions.”

He rushed to the door, but Rose went to the bar and had a few words with Alexandre first. After the exchange, and a threatening gesture his way from Alexandre, she came to him. Smiling, but her heart wasn't in it. He returned the smile anyway and led the way.

“Where am I?” She hesitantly asked once they reached the sidewalk. Then specified, “possibility me.”

He glanced at her. “That...” he shut his gob with an audible click. Should he tell her? It is something she'll have to know eventually, he supposed. “Possibility you... she's the reason you're here. Due to, uh, unforeseeable circumstances we got separated. She got trapped in that parallel world where your Doctor is. But she's all well and happy, I saw to that. Probably married even. Her and Jackie now live there with Pete, who was still alive in that universe.” He lowered his tone as her head fell. “Thanks to you... actually... well, both of you technically. But... I'm sorry. You came out of a bad end of this universal split. On our side -here- me and possibility Rose had to deal with villainous creatures who came in to take advantage of the wound in time. I never left her there in 1987, couldn’t, wanted to to scare her a bit, but the interior of the TARDIS got tossed out of the wound and ended up,” he faltered, “on your side.”

"Oh," her voice wavered. "Blimey that’s... um, wh- why is it that she's the reason I'm here?"

The Doctor took her hand in hopes of reassuring her. “The moment you saved Pete that parallel universe was created. I remember feeling it. Timelines clashing, I never would have thought that it wasn’t your timeline rejecting Pete, but your own. Apparently the universes were still trying to split at that moment, but it couldn’t because two sets of you still stood in the same existence. In the future, this universes Rose was already in that universe.”

“Hold on, if she’s there in the future, why did it affect me in the past?”

“Time is strange like that.” He raked his fingers through his hair. No good way to explain this. How many times has someone brought up a similar question, yet he still hasn’t set aside time to figure out a good way to spell it out. He glanced at her bright attentive expression, and felt himself deflate. Oh well. “If you were to look at the whole of time and space to watch time travelers mingle through it you would see how the past defines the future. Not immediately sometimes, but through other events in time travel, the combined changes would create an entirely different conclusion.”

“Like throwing new symbols and numbers into a math equation?”

The Doctor beamed. “Exactly!”

“I still don’t really get it.”

His smile slipped. “...ah.” He scratched his head. “Anyway, since two of you were on the same realms of reality the universe redistributed you here instead since this is the time -on Earth- that this universe’s Rose left to the other reality.”

“I got put here instead of her, but she belongs here, yeah? So, why me?”

“You did not have a TARDIS to stabilize you, she did.”

“And my Doctor left...” she weakly shrugged. “It’s both our faults that I’m here.”

“Well, you and your parallel Doctor.”

She smirked despite herself, though she spoke in monotone, “don’t you try and get out of this. He is you.” Then she halted her steps as a epiphany hit. “Parallel me has a TARDIS?”

“Not operational, but yes.”

“You give me my own TARDIS?”

“I didn’t trust it solely to you if that’s what you’re thinking.” he focused on the wall as he went on. “There’s a human clone of me living in that universe with her.”

She gaped, “how?”

“Complicated,” he attempted to clear his throat as they neared the TARDIS. “He can live his life with her there. He has a human lifespan, like her.”

Rose gave him a watery smile, “that’s one hell of a birthday present.”

They entered the TARDIS which lit up and wheezed happily when Rose stepped over the threshold.

“At least she hasn’t changed.” Rose said. The Doctor was suddenly struck by how overwhelmed she must be when Rose reverently ran her hand down a coral strut. Eyes glistening as though she were holding a flood of emotions back by a thread.

“How about you wash up?” he suggested. “Must be exhausted. And don’t worry about breaking the medical gel as you scrub.” She bit her lip, so he quickly added, “The TARDIS should accommodate you, she is capable of recreating the room you remember, but if not, don’t worry about intruding in on your own room.”

Rose nodded, and maneuvered across the console room.

She hovered at the doorway, the toe of her shoe rubbing the grating in thought. “Was she happy staying in that parallel world?” Rose asked.

Ah. Easy answer. “Her family, an exact copy of me, and a TARDIS to continue our marvelous adventures? Of course.”

She nodded limply, as if accepting his answer simply since she had no reason to doubt it.

He went to the console computer, thinking she had left, until she spoke again.

“Are you?”


	15. Over the Top

Huh.

It’s all very complicated. The words. Their behavior.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it all.

They should be bouncing with joy. He knew he was, but they weren’t sharing it. Well, they’re not doing this right at all. Tony huffed. Leave it up to him to show them how it’s done.

“Let’s go to the TARDIS!” Tony shouted when silence fell.

They jumped. Good. He got their attention. However each one only glanced at him before speaking on.

Tony slouched with a soured expression. Obvious annoyance is bound to catch someones attention eventually.

“You regenerated.” Rose told the Doctor. He could do nothing more than stare after that. “Into him. Well, original him. Um...” she twisted her fingers. “James?”

James smirked, and took a deep breath. Oh, great. Tony plopped down on the ground and crossed his legs. This is going to take a while.

“Let's go back, shall we?”

“I'm gonna put together a cuppa, if any of you are interested.” Jackie announced, and headed to the house. She leaned down and tapped Tony's shoulder. “Off the ground, love.” But she kept walking, not really checking to see if he obeyed, so he stayed.

“If I'm understanding correctly, you came from the universal split.”

“Got that.” The Doctor bit out. “No need to state the obvious.”

“Right.” James lost his chipper mood. “Well let's start off by saying that Jackie, Rose, Mickey, and I originally came from the main universe. Not here.”

“Rickey the Idiot?”

“Let him finish.” Rose urged.

James resumed his explanation, “in this universe Pete and Jackie never had kids. And with all the unresolved catastrophes day in and out, we assumed there was never a Doctor as well, but here you are.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. “You're saying I'm a parallel.”

James hummed an affirmative, “Of this universe.”

“I'm fairly certain I'm the original,” he said, imposing uncomfortably closer to James.

“Who's to say who's the original.” Rose came, irritated between them. “Am I going to have to separate you two?”

Tony giggled. The Doctor reduced to Tony's rules is funny to think about. Maybe he could teach him a few tricks to get out of it?

“Bit late for that. But.” The Doctor pasted an obedient smile on his face, made a movement like locking his lips, and waited.

James raised a brow, but continued. “Somethings happened in the main universe that led to us living here. And I think that has something to do with what happened to this universes Rose. You went back, and she was gone, correct? But the fact of the matter is that you left her without the TARDIS to stabilize her. Two Rose’s in the same reality rejected each other. So, that means she ended up on the other side of the universal split. As for me, the Doctor from the main universe; I'm his human clone. A human Time Lord biological metacrisis formed from a hand he lost minutes after regeneration with a human jumpstart.”

“Biological metacrisis?” The Doctor perked with interest. “But that’s-”

“-not the problem.” James broke in.

The Doctor glowered, then asked, “An’ you’re telling me she’s stabilized?” the Doctor looked pointedly at Rose.

“We have a TARDIS of sorts, so, yes.”

“Not really following,” Rose said. “But you’re telling me this universe had a parallel me, but she got... erased?”

“Not erased,” James corrected. “Tossed into another universe, ours, if I’m not mistaken.”

“But if that’s it, then why is it like she never existed?”

“Good question,” the Doctor and James said in unison. They refused to acknowledge the coincidence, but Rose was grinning.

Tony clapped, and they flinched like the sound came out of thin air.

"It's like you practiced!" Tony got up and took the Doctor's hand. "He's clever like that, isn't he Rose?"

Rose grinned at him. “He’d better be.”

The Doctor gave her a lopsided grin. “Your brother?”

“Yeah. He’s gettin’ the worst of your traits through James, as you can tell.”

“Oi!” The two Doctor’s yelped.

Rose laughed, and threw her arms out, “oh, come here you.”

The Doctor beamed, set Tony aside, and engulfed her into an embrace. With her feet just above the ground, Rose giggled into the Doctor’s shoulder.

Tony squirmed and circled them. “me too!”

“I’m right here,” James persisted. “I’m the Doctor too.”

“You were the Doctor,” Tony retorted as Rose finally found solid ground. “Doctor doesn’t get hurt, lookit.” Tony gestured about him. “S’healthy as a horse!”

With Rose under one arm, and Tony hugging the the other, The Doctor preened under James’ glare.

James spun away and began to pace, “Rose? I don’t worry about Rose. I didn’t worry about Rose. Now I’ve got to worry about my wife cheating on me, with me.”

Rose took a step to James, an amused smile playing at her lips. “It’s not cheating if he’s you. You’re the same person. It’s more to love.”

James lost his assertive stance and frowned, whining in a low voice so only she could hear, “Rose you’re... you’re suppose to say that when I bust the waistline. Not when my past blunders through the doorstep...”

“You put up with that?” The Doctor asked loudly, clearly indicating he heard every word.

“You sure you want to be the one asking that?" Rose meandered back to him. "You should really stop fighting with yourself already. It’s not a good look.”

The Doctor stared down at Rose. “It's a common fact that me, myself, and I have never gotten along." He paused at the twinkling in her eyes, and crossed his arms to close himself off. "Not sure how I feel about this. You married to a clone of me, it’s giving you airs.” The Doctor then began his trek back to town.

“Where are you going?” Rose called.

“TARDIS. Need to check something,” he shouted back.

Tony hastily added, “me too!”

Yes! The TARDIS! And no Mum to hold him back, but just in case, he darted ahead of the Doctor. Oh, but they've already ruined part of this reunion, what if the rest of them don't get to the TARDIS? Tony stopped and watched them to reassure himself.

Rose jogged up to the Doctor. “This involves me too.”

The Doctor raised a brow, “Keep in mind which of me you have on a leash.”

“Rose,” James puffed, awkwardly rushing at them, limbs flailing as he did so. “To have and to hold, over here.” He grunted, “could cash in that second bit now if it’s not too much.”

She shook her head, laughing into her palm as she did so. “So sensitive. The both of you.”

James was still coming closer, overcoming his cast. The Doctor wasn't changing his mind, and of course Rose would come if it’s the Doctor.

Tony couldn't stand still. This is happening! The Doctor, Rose, and him in the TARDIS!

He pulled out a TARDIS key. The Doctor never noticed him fishing through his pockets to get it, then again, neither did Rose.

Then he continued full speed to their destination.

Tony almost bragged to a passerby when he approached the TARDIS. Cloaking? Ha, Tony could see the TARDIS perfectly. He slipped the key in, biting his lip with barely contained excitement, unlocked it then ran inside. Open door and key forgotten, Tony froze in awe at the sight. She -and James has reminded him several times that she is a she- is beautiful. The dim lights inside became brighter. Tony ran back and peeked at the TARDIS from outside. Box. He reentered. Room. An entire room.

Hm. James said she was eternal inside. It’s just a bigger room. Suddenly the lights went off like a camera flash. Tony jumped. Weird lighting.

But look at the console! So many colors, shapes, levers, tubes, is that a Twizzler? Tony picked it up, wiggled it in his grasp, then bit it.

Yep. Twizzler.

He chewed at the candy and walked around the console, turning knobs, twisting gadgets, and pushing every button he could find. Nothing was happening though. For so many cool controls, it isn’t very fun.

Oh, a computer! He knows computers! Tony climbed onto the console and stared at the screen. It looks more like a telly, actually. There’s no keyboard. He grabbed the screen and found some buttons on the side. He pressed a few, and the screen flickered to life. It displayed circles. Maybe it would show him an alien if he clicked the right button?

Tony looked to the side, and flipped an odd switch here and there. Suddenly, the phone rang. S pecifically the one attached to the console.

Oops. Did he accidentally call an alien?

He then figured it wouldn’t be ringing if he initiated the call. But who would call when the Doctor’s out?

What if it’s cause the Doctor’s out? Tony remembers James saying the TARDIS is alive. It must be trying to speak to him. Cool!

Tony jumped off the console and answered it.

“Hello?”


	16. All You Need is

Love.

She said love.

A concept he was so unsure of how to wrap his head around.

How close had they gotten? It’s his future, but not anymore. That innocent leisurely relationship he once shared with Rose is long since lost. Him and Rose -his Rose- are anomalies in both universes. No assured fate. All thanks to these two skipping about between realities.

No use but to fix it. His Rose will have to live with her future self here. He doesn't see any other way around it. Once she gets her back...

Damn.

He just had to screw up her life. He may be foreign to this parallel universe, but she is even more so. She had a life, and now it's gone. Everything. Jackie and Ricky, they won't be the same for her. They're a Jackie and Ricky, but not hers.

It will have to do. Unless...

What if none of this matters to her? What if it's all so unfamiliar that she decides it better to live with him?

The Doctor hazarded a glimpse of Rose.

She certainly has once already. With open arms it would seem.

Rose swiftly caught him staring, and rather ungracefully, the Doctor averted his gaze.

He doesn't deserve it. She can't possibly know what he's done, and James is a clever clone for hiding it. It's not on his head anyway, he's simply a clone with memories of the stains on his hands. While the real filth is right here in the flesh. James is the only one who has a right to live a life without her ever knowing.

“If that were true, you can’t seriously expect me to have taken it lying down?” Rose asked as she rounded on the Doctor. “James doesn’t keep secrets. Besides, he is you in every way that matters. Vise-versa, I haven’t lied to him. Wouldn’t lie to you either,” Rose said, calming. “Sorry, I had to say, because you’re projecting like a lighthouse.”

She... she heard that? He wasn’t speaking out loud unknowingly. He fixed that a few regenerations ago -sort of- but that...

“Marriage,” Rose said it like the word answered everything. “It does,” she continued.

“Stop that,” the Doctor finally spoke aloud.

James leaned closer to him, speaking in a rough whisper, “she can’t help it, you are throwing your thoughts right at her.” Then he spoke in a normal voice. “I could hear your mental echo from way back when you first landed actually. Thought it was a trick, but hello.” he tapped his temple. Ah, so that’s how he knew who he was; Time Lord telepathy. “We can’t project our thoughts like you can, because you’re full Time Lord, and very very moody. For me it’s weaker now that I’m human, but Rose and I can communicate through our bond like any normal touch telepaths. Of course, Rose took a few months to get it right. I still get a headache thinking about it.”

Rose frowned and took James’ hand, which caused him to scramble away then hold his temples.

That’s not. No.

“You’ve bonded!?” the Doctor exclaimed. “Hu- human Time Lord marriage bond!?”

“Sorry for not saying.” Rose quirked a smile. “I didn’t expect it to be a problem, but apparently there’s a ghost of a bond between you and me because of it. I put up a wall, but, um...” She extended her hand, inviting him. All too curious, he immediately took it.

And his eyes almost rolled to the back of his head, he had to shut them lest it show. Just a tiny human telepath, but Rose enveloped that empty space in the Doctor’s mind that his people once occupied quite comfortably. He basked in her presence, and when a stray thought floated from her consciousness to his, he clung to it greedily, nearly pleading when her to interact more. Too long he’s been deprived, but all too soon she let go. His mind reeled at the loss.

Except, when he opened his eyes, he saw it was James that pulled her away. He held her around the waist, watching the Doctor carefully. Rose herself looked dazed.

The Doctor felt his cheeks flare with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he muttered before looking away.

“S’okay,” came Rose’s hoarse voice, she cleared her throat then said, “blimey, you know how to flatter a girl.”

The Doctor blinked a few times, reclaiming come semblance of coherence. A marriage bond is... beautiful. Too beautiful.

Guilt blanketed his thoughts. A taste, and he wanted more. He hasn’t even nurtured her overwhelming love. It’s not his. But like the destitute begging for booze, he could easily forget with her. A gift. Why would the universe give **him** a gift? Can’t let that happen. Not only the war, but now he’s ruined his original Rose’s life. Indulge in this now, and what would that make him? A-

“Stop!” Rose shouted. “Stop right there. Don’t finish that.”

Rose took his hand, panic overwhelmed him momentarily, but nothing happened.

“Blocked it,” she told him. “It’s great deal to take in. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” She swung their hands as a quick distraction. “It may be a lot for you, but in my-  _ our _ future, we didn’t get here easily. What you’re feeling now about the Time War, it’s a bit raw, yeah?” She glanced at James as if seeking permission, then continued, “this may seem outlandish, but I understand. Spent whole nights getting you to talk about it. You don’t have to believe me, but I accept you.” She squeezed his hand. “All of you, no matter how you see yourself.”

The Doctor couldn’t accept her words. Too many consequences weighing in from just the implication. But he couldn’t deny her words either. She said them with such conviction that he wanted to believe her.

When a tear jumped from his cheek, reality fell back into place. He caught James grinning, and suddenly felt childish for wanting to punch him.

“And don’t worry about the other me, we’ll find her and fix this. You’ve got the TARDIS, it can’t be that hard.” A slow growing smile spread across her face. “Are we close? I can’t wait to see her!”

He mirrored her expression, attitude lightening with hers, “yeah.”

Abruptly James broke in, “oh! Hold on.” He took a bracelet off of Rose then handed it to the Doctor. “You might want to see this.”

A fabric strapped old pocket watch made to look like a wrist watch. He flipped it open, but there was no clock face. Just wires, small pockets filled with liquid, and a digital interface with an infinity symbol stuck on it.

Ah. He could feel it. Time fading, distorting, hiding. It’s a dampener for time. Not very strong though. No wonder he hadn’t noticed.

“Not that I don’t mind you admiring my handiwork,” James interrupted his thoughts. “But I wanted you to see this.”

The Doctor did so and gaped. Right there, falling in handfuls from the fourth dimension. Reaper. It has to be. But why so much? It didn’t stop there either. Some were creeping up from down the road. Moving effortlessly, fluidly, toward them. Always efficient and reliable, they moved with unavoidable speed.

Right at Rose.

“Alright, okay, okay!” Rose fumbled for the watch, strapped it on, and closed it.

All at once, they vanished.

“Can’t outrun them,” Rose told him, eyeing the spot they once occupied warily. “I’ve tried. They’re persistent buggers. Nearly took me whole if it weren’t for the TARDIS.”

“Had to have Rose hold the TARDIS to stabilize her at all times for a week before I made this,” James held up her wrist with the pocket watch-wrist watch.

“You held the TARDIS?” The Doctor skeptically asked. Although it wasn't hard to picture her hugging a blue police box. Picturing her holding it was another story.

“Yes. She’s just a baby coral right now. Not much, but growing,” Rose spoke fondly.

“Baby,” the Doctor almost questioned. Then it dawned on him. “And clone. You've got a cozy little life. Don't know why it didn't hit me till now. The real me in your future. I'm a universe away.”

Parallel him must be alone. Has to be. He didn't want companions anymore until he met Rose. And if he had to give her up he can see making it a good life. Time, space, and him to guide her. Add that to how close they are -which is still sending his head spinning- and she has everything to fulfil her wanderlust and human wishes for a lifetime. Paradise.

“Paradise comes with consequences,” Rose told him.

“You gonna keep doing that?” the Doctor scowled.

She ignored his comment, and on justifying herself, “parallel you is a universe away. You think I don’t worry about him? Yeah, we’re happy, but what about him? He did take new companions after me, but I wonder. Can’t help it. Drives James crazy.”

The Doctor stared at the ground, suddenly feeling vicariously lost. Looking at a future that was his, but not, and unsure of how to take it.

So, he changed the subject, “how’d I become him then?”

Rose took a moment to reply wistfully, “Bad Wolf.”

His head snapped up. Those words. Always those words following him, but only a few times here and there, he almost brushed it off as a coincidence. However, now there’s an answer?

“I’m the Bad Wolf,” she stated. “I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me to save you from a Dalek fleet on Satellite Five.”

If he get’s anymore shocks today, he’s going to have a hearts-attack. But this topped the cake so much that he didn’t know where to start. Daleks? They lived? Looking into the TARDIS? He wanted to yell at her. What the hell was she thinking!? But he’s sure that’s already happened. Still, he felt conflicted.

“When the Daleks were wiped out I was still burning, so you saved me. Took the Vortex from me, returned it to the TARDIS, and died.” She jerked her head at James, somehow leveling the waver in her voice. “Course you regenerated, and he starts going off about Barcelona, and hopping for our lives. Safe and sound now though.” She finished, like there was no need to question further.

So, he didn’t. He’d already accepted everything else in this bizarre world so far.

“Rose Tyler.” The Doctor rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming. “Done in for a girl. Ain’t that the way to go.”

“Oi” Rose nearly laughed.

He pulled her into a hug. “And yet, you stayed.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” she mumbled into his jumper.

The Doctor pushed Rose back to kiss the top of her head, “Rose Tyler,” he laughed and shook his head at the absurdity of it all. “You’re  _ fantastic _ .”

She beamed the moment the word left his lips and eagerly threw back, “So, are you.”


	17. Always the Same Just a Shame That's All

Inconceivable.

Everything.

All of it.

Rose doesn’t want it. How many times has she wondered where the dream would end, but- ow. Aah, her head. It’s killing her.

She felt the exhaustion settling in along with an increasing impact of nausea. The remains of her energy went with the dirt she scrubbed off in the shower. She draped the towel over her hair and dropped onto the edge of the tub. Her ankle felt equally bad. And physical pain piled upon emotional only worsened her state.

Rose felt the tears pricking at her eyes again. She wanted to cry, but was afraid that would break her resolve.

But if there was a way to mend this, she didn't see it. This Doctor told her so much. Too much. Parallel world? How does she get there? Maybe they could find a way to undo it being created. What if that erased her Doctor though? He's in that parallel world now, and undoing it might...

Rose cradled her head. What about Mum? Her friends? Her reality didn't exist anymore. That parallel world he described, it's not hers. What happened? Is that actually her world? What if he's got it wrong and she's from an entirely different parallel universe?

She snatched a fluffy towel and stuffed her face into it.

The more she thinks, the more she loses her sanity.

Accept what's happening now, and focus on fixing that. This Doctor appears to know what he's doing.

She propped her chin up on her palm, resting her elbow on her knee. _This Doctor_.

He says he’s a future possibility of her Doctor. What could have been. How bonkers. She shook herself. Immediately regretted it when the loo became an appealing target. Then she shut her eyes to control her tilting vision.

Where was she?

This Doctor, and what could have been.

So, in the future she leaves the Doctor to live a human life with his clone? But that would imply... It fits. The only way she would willingly live in a universe that’s not her own would be if she could be with the man she loved. So, she’s in love with him. Rose searched her own kindling feelings. The rush of being with him was like a constant adrenaline high, but not a forever love. Not yet. She could see it happening. Events bringing them closer than they had been. But her Doctor’s gone. And with him her love fell near a cliff edge, not quite over it, and maybe never will be now that he’s not here.

But he is.

And doesn’t that just make it worse? Rose can see it brighter than day even with a glimpse. He’s in love with her, but she can’t reciprocate. Her love didn’t escalate with this Doctor. It scares her. There’s this adult affection about him, that she knows must have been mutual, but drowns her every time. He see’s her other self every time he looks at her. For her, she can look at him and find her Doctor, but also see how he’s not. Not just with looks, but that does make it easier. It’s that he’s different. They say falling in love changes you, but seeing it happen so instantaneously...

Simply being in his presence makes Rose feel like she’s taking advantage. A brilliant man that took his time to care for her. Help her understand. Make her comfortable. Would he pull the moon down if she asked?

She could find out.

She chuckled. This impossibly smitten man is from her war bitten Doctor? But... she didn’t put him there. It’s almost like someone cast a spell, love so genuine it feels fake. But it’s not. And it’s not hers. She didn’t earn it, but he gladly gives. It’s not fair.

Rose wants her simple love back. The love she can handle. She wants to reach this point with her Doctor. See it develop. Understand how it got here, so she can accept it. Because she wants to love him back the same way. It’s beautiful.

This Doctor must understand her dilemma. She doesn’t love him yet. He can respect that until she gets back to her Doctor, right?

“Rose?” Came his voice outside the door.

Rose gave herself a once over, and announced, “decent.”

The Doctor swifty came in, as usual, but did not follow the rest of that formula and instead of calm indifference, averted his gaze. “Ah, you’re, um.” He gestured about her, whilst focusing on the tiled walls.

“I’m in a towel.”

“I saw.”

Okay, so maybe he can’t. She sighed. “What do you need?”

“You- you’re blood. Here.” He thrusted a bottle of pills at her, nearly dinging her nose. “It’s iron and energy supplements. Sorry. I should have given it to you sooner. Seems you haven’t passed out yet, so that’s good.”

She took it, noticing all too clearly how he blinked rapidly as their fingers touched. “Thanks.”

Awkward. So awkward. Rose almost felt like she was the one who walked in on him. She wanted to apologize, but he’s the one making a big deal out of it.

Well, let’s break that.

“You never did answer me.”

He went for the door, “take two of those, and meet me in--”

“Doctor.”

Oh. Her heart skipped a beat. That’s the first time she’s called him that with purpose. He noticed too because he... well, he just looked at her. All hope, in a way that made her heart sink and flutter simultaneously.

“I’m happy for her, she’s got a brilliant--”

“I didn’t ask about her.”

His adams apple bobbed.

“Don’t you have any companions?”

He shook his head. Unexpectedly looking so open and vulnerable. He was energetic before, what happened?

Is this who he really is? It looks familiar. She perked up a bit. She could spot pieces of her Doctor bleeding though.

Now that they’re alone, she can tell. He’s hiding even more than her Doctor. Sure they both wear masks at times, but him even more so. At least her Doctor didn’t overcompensate to hide his emotions, he seemed like wanted her to learn of him. But this Doctor doesn’t want anyone in, so he always looks fine. But not now... why...? Ah, there’s that love thing again. She bit her lip. Not wanting to use his affections, but sadly finding it the only way to get him to talk.

“Why not? I mean, I left, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone. There’s lots of brilliant people, yeah?”

He rubbed both eyes then stared at the floor outside the door. “I’m tired, Rose,” he admitted hoarsely. “I tried taking on more companions. Martha. She walked the _Earth_ for me, but I never saw her for who she really was, so she left. Donna was my best friend...”

He put his hand on the door knob. Afraid he’d bolt, she inquired, “then where’s Donna?”

“The clone of me that lives with the other you was an accident.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Donna played a part in creating him, she got a copy of my mind to go with hers in the process, and it was too much. Her mind couldn’t handle a Time Lords knowledge, so I had to hide her memories. All the memories of our times together.”

“That’s awful.” When Rose heard the grief in her own voice she regretted saying anything.

The Doctor locked his wide eyes with hers. Like what she had said was a negative judgement for the act he committed. When did she gain any authority to deem his past actions right or wrong?

Trying to give him an out she asked, “there wasn’t a way to clean out what got mixed in?”

“No. I didn’t have the time to nitpick at her memories. Her mind was already burning.”

“But what if you could? You’re a Time Lord. Make the time now, and go back.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It can be.”

“I’ve already tried looking for remedies.”

“then you shouldn’t give up.”

“You do not understand.” He slammed the door. Voice clamoring. “The human mind is delicate. Even if I could find a way to keep her in stasis, my memories have merged so much with her own that removing every little one would take so long that she would not be able to withstand it. From looking into the Untempered Schism within my mind is an element of the Vortex, a copy of that is now within her. Put that with my hundreds of years of memories and... her brain would deflate like a balloon with too much oxygen if I ever succeeded in separating our minds. With all the extra space from where my memories once occupied her thoughts. It would be too empty. She’d go insane. I can never visit her again, or she’ll remember. Never fix her. And I can never apologize for ruining her life,” his sentence cracked near the end.

Nostrils flaring, he towered over her, and she wondered why her other self left him like this.

He wants judgement. Okay.

Rose got up, and setting the pills aside, she steeled herself. She slid her fingers under his cheekbone, slowly cupping his cheek. His thunderous expression wouldn’t let up. So, she offered him an uneven smile.

“I’m not going to chastise you for this, you’ve done so to yourself already.” Rose steadily stroked his cheek with her thumb as the tension slipped away. “She treasured you, yeah? You certainly do her. And you know more than anyone somethings will never change. So, I’m saying this for me and Donna, I’m sorry she has to be one of them.” When he said nothing she asked. “Does she have a good life?”

“Made sure of it,” came his small reply.

Rose nodded, “Then you’ve done good. Don’t blame yourself for this, it’s an accident, you said. No one’s fault.”

“But I could have-”

She cupped his mouth, muffling then quieting him.

“I’ve already got a headache, your self-loathing isn’t helping. Besides, you’ve done enough beating yourself down for two people, I can tell. Donna would be more than appeased by now, don’t you think?”

Something of a grin came over him, and he began animately speaking into her palm.

Rose couldn’t help it, she balked a laugh at the sight. This led to her wavering, luckily he caught her and held her up by the forearms, so she continued with getting it out of her system.

She didn’t even notice, but he led them from the en-suite to her room. When he eased her to sit on the bed she cooled off. Figuratively, and literally when she sneezed.

“Ooh, I don’t feel good at all...” she muttered.

Her headache pounded angrily at the base of her skill. That’s when he handed her a cup of water and two pills. She smiled gratefully and took them.

He sat at her side as she did so. Bed bouncing up and down from him to her. “Donna had a mouth. She would not hesitate to say if something bothered her, and if she did have a say here, she would have tore me down till nothing but my hair remained. She liked my hair.”

“I like your hair,” Rose said into her cup.

He hummed happily to that. At least... until another thought came over him.

He spoke lowly, “she begged me not to take her memories. Knew what I was doing, but she didn’t run... because she knew it had to be done. Her and her mouth though. She couldn’t help but protest till the end.” He turned to her, just partially so, that a shadow cast over his face. Voice a rough whisper, he asked, “it’s like dying, isn’t it? You don’t want to accept it, but know it has to happen.”

She thumped his arm for self-loathing again, but he didn’t flinch. She didn’t expect him to. Because shortly afterwards she pulled him into a hug. Her decreased volume matched his own. “You’re not okay.” She hadn’t realize she was crying, but there goes a tear. “You’re the future, you’re suppose to be okay.”

“Sorry for not meeting your standards,” he said over her shoulder.

“Don’t joke. S’not funny.” Her hand which wrapped around his neck drifted up into his hair. “God, you’ve got great hair.”

“What was that about not joking?”

“Shut up, I’m lightening the mood.”


	18. Reel Me In

A dream.

Has to be.

Her hand stroked consolingly across his back.

Weeell, best dream he’s had in centuries then, but _really_ he knows better. She’s here.

The Doctor swept Rose into his arms, pulling her close, holding tight. Unwilling for this moment to end anytime soon.

Confessing this much to her helped ease the burden. Her words in return, while not perfect, felt like a balm. He wanted redemption, and when he needs it most, there's Rose.

He shall knock four times.

If he's going to die, he wants to tell her everything, if only to make it easier to move on. But he doesn’t want to move on.

He doesn't want to die.

Last time he could accept it because it was for her, she was there to say goodbye and hello. But she won't be there this time. He doesn't want to die without her. He doesn't want to die alone.

"Doctor," Rose wheezed.

Whoops.

“Sorry!” The Doctor loosened his grip on her and eased up enough to let go. “This body’s more tactile than the last.” He beamed. “Love a good hug.” She wouldn’t let him go just yet though. Rose ran a hand up and down his arm. Alert eyes, colored cheeks, and steadier movements. “Have the supplements taken effect yet?”

“They must have. Huh. Didn’t notice.” She looked about herself then got up and began sifting through her drawers. “Thank you.”

“Hm?”

“For helping me. Don’t know what I would have done without you, I mean it was hard enough living on that planet, but the chips were dreadful.”

A laugh broke from the Doctor. Right. Leave Rose on a foreign planet and her biggest problem isn’t fitting in, it’s the taste of the chips.

She tossed some things onto the bed, set her hands on her hips, and raised a brow. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said amidst giggles.

She blew a breath at her curling hair. “Have it your way, but I need you out now, mister.”

“And miss the aftereffects of chip deprivation?” He waggled his eyebrows, “I’m sure it’s improved your physique quite nicely.”

Rose’s jaw dropped. “Are you flirting with me?”

The Doctor’s breath stilled. Then he hesitantly replied, “you’ve never called me out on it before. Weell.” He yanked his earlobe. “You have. Just not so bluntly...”

“Suppose it became different for you.” She turned her head slightly to give him a narrowed look. “But for me he was always so subtle about it. **That** was downright _come-hither_. It’s a big leap from... did the other me ever tell you why I asked to see my dad?”

Okay. Off-topic. “Time machine?“ He offered anyway. “The possibility is tantalizing.”

“Yeah. I thought of many different ways to go see Dad. Spent a good few days thinking about how I could do it without the Doctor egging me on about mucking up time. Thing is, I wanted to know.”

“Everyone who’s lost a parent before they developed a good long term memory feels that longing. _What was he like?_ And such.”

“Not just that. It was also that I looked at the Doctor and I saw this.” She threw her palms out and gazed at the ceiling. “Amazing man. He’s just perfect.”

The Doctor felt his chest swell with pride. Really? Do go on.

Her hands fell. “And I couldn’t help but think; what if Dad was the same?”

He frowned. Please, Pete’s a common man. And how could she compare him to a human anyway?

“Because I’ve always heard that Dad was an amazing man as well. Sure he had his faults, but so did the Doctor. Gwyneth could see it. Said I was thinking more of him, and that helped me make a decision.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “They say all girls fall for boys who are like their fathers. So... I would look at him and imagine what my Dad was like. Started getting confused, wanted to treat him like a dad, but I could tell that wasn't what he wanted. My emotions were... I wasn't sure what I was feeling was proper attraction.”

The Doctor as Rose Tyler's father? Well, that's a disturbing concept. He wasn't sure how to take it. He knew the possibility was there for her to view him as such, being older and all. But all his doubts were squashed the moment she bluntly asked him to show her his moves.

Oh.

After they saw Pete.

That was after they saw... Pete...

“Hold on.” His voice raised incredulously. “You thought of him as your dad?”

“Did.” Rose said through a laugh. “Then Dad said me and the Doctor were a couple himself, started making a hypothetical situation if he was dating me instead, and that's where I started differin' the two. Even offered him my arm like I would the Doctor -only to walk out the flat together, ya know- and he said I was givin' mixed signals... and... and that's when I found myself here. Alien planet.” She gave the wall a good hard stare. “I think what happened between me and Dad was enough though. I know now, what me and the Doctor have. It’s real, it’s-” She bit her lip, and sat down. “You can find a way to get me back, yeah?”

It’s that beach all over again. Her feelings laid bare, but out of reach. Only difference is, she is here. He wanted to be selfish. So so selfish. Say there’s no way back, and move on with their lives.

“Yeah,” he heard himself say. “I’ll find a way to that parallel world. Done it a few times already, can’t be too hard.”


	19. Hit and Miss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tenth Doctor again, because these two need a hop and a skip to catch up.

Daddy Doctor.

Not that he hasn’t been a father once.

He ran his hands through his hair. Rose takes things to a whole new level. Here he was worried about death, and she has his thoughts swirling around that one idea. Had he really been so oblivious? In what instance should he have been able notice sooner? Well... perhaps he was emotionally blinded by his own growing affections...

He laughed.

This is so Rose. Somehow she has him focusing on the daftest things all over again. Isn’t it wonderful? Because that’s when the world around tends to blur, so he can ignore it.

Just like he ignored that the Valiant Child will die in battle. That a storm was coming.

His head dropped.

She’s dangerous company to keep, isn’t she?

But a hell of a lot funner.

He almost feels human when she’s not around. Afraid every little thing will knock four times, bring him misery at every turn, and find new ways to tear his conscience to pieces.

But, when he’s with her he dares to believe the impossible. That maybe he’ll live. That maybe there’s salvation for him yet, maybe a kindness will still have the power to delightfully shock him, and maybe everybody lives. He craves that. Wants her back.

Rose skipped into the room, smiling as she paused by the railings. He grinned right back, and she took that invitation to run the rest of the way to the console.

Blast it all, he’s going to tear apart the universe to get rid of her.

“So, Rose Tyler, you came from a universal split. Meaning, I know where we might be able to find your Doctor,” the chipperness in his tone came all too easily.

She pursed her lips in thought. “Now that I think about it, how did you find me?”

“It was the strangest thing,” the Doctor said wistfully as he pulled out a lost poster. His past face plus Rose equals the lost poster making a whole lot more sense. He rolled from heel to toe when she took it. Anxiously awaiting her reaction.

“No way.” A smile that warmed him to the core spread across her face. Rose bent into herself giggling, and the Doctor couldn't help but share in her joy. “ _ This? _ ” He nodded. “Good lot of my time went into getting these out.”

“I know.” He's all too aware how she’s spread that daft old face across this entire galaxy. Probably further. He shook his head. A Tyler's persistence knows no bounds.

She began idly straightening the edges. “Convinced myself at first that maybe he got lost, and posted his face everywhere, so I could find him.”

The Doctor leaned against the console. Is she really insinuating that he, the Doctor, is capable of getting lost? That’s downright insulting. Besides, all in all it doesn’t even make sense. “Wouldn’t  **you** have been the lost one?”

“I don’t get lost.”

“Hypocrite!” he immediately exclaimed, finger pointed accusingly. How many times has this girl wandered off? The nerve!

“I don’t!” She shouted back. “Not like that. And I knew the Doctor had the TARDIS, no way he wouldn’t have been able to find me unless he was lost himself.”

His finger dropped then found his chin for a thoughtful pose. Okay. “Good point.”

Rose smirked, looking far too proud for her own good. Cheeky thing. Still he could hardly contain himself, fighting with Rose Tyler, and losing to Rose Tyler has it’s benefits. Because, it’s still way better than fighting and losing to himself or the TARDIS as he usually did on a daily basis.

“Quick question,” the Doctor said, taking the poster and emphasising the distinguishing features portion. “Mole left-center below his lower back?”

Blood rushed to her face. Blushing, the Doctor thought, was a brilliant look on her.

Rose ran her fingers over the controls, lips tightly shut. When she did open her mouth, she slowly stammered, “once when he was changing I walked in and-- and I didn't... look away.”

The Doctor wiped a hand over his mouth to smolder away any traces of embarrassment, but ended up laughing into his palm. “You ogled my bum?”

“I didn't ogle your--” she broke into a sudden laugh. “Oh God, I ogled your bum!”

Unable to hold back, they shared in a long guffaw. The whole situation was ludicrous, yet the two couldn’t help but sympathize with one another, and laughed harder each time they attempted some form of composure.

“Right.” The Doctor turned a dial, calming his excitement with an odd giggle sprinkled throughout his sentence. “Your mobile, Rose Tyler, if you please?”

She handed it over, still chuckling. “More jiggery pokery?”

“Actually,” he hooked it up to the console phone. “More along the lines of Accio, if you will.”

“Are you serious?” Her laughter started up again. “Is Harry Potter still a thing?”

“Universal constant, Rose, good spell never gets old. Remind me to tell you about Shakespeare later.”

Rose ceased her laughter as intrigue became alight in her eyes. “You've met Shakespeare?”

He reveled in that look. “Oh yes,” he eagerly added, “man almost lured Martha in more than once. Had we not left so soon she would have shared a snog with Romeo himself.”

Rose caught her tongue between her teeth as he spoke. The Doctor knows that look, and considering the context of their conversation, he doesn't like it.

“Terrible breath!” The Doctor loudly informed her as he tinkered with some buttons. “Mind you, he lived in an age before toothpaste, but imagine the plaque. Get gingivitis just peckin' the man.”

“You're quite knowledgeable in that,” she said, voice teetering on the edge of a laugh. Oh, he didn't like that either. “Heard Shakespeare had a kinky thing for his acting boys.” she locked eyes with him. “Were you one of them?”

Oh, the minx. She saw right through him. Turning the situation around like this, clever little...

“Just a conspiracy, I’ll have you know,” he told her.

“Time traveler,” she sing-songed.

“What use have I to delve into the personal life of historical figures?”

“You’re not denying it!” Rose said gleefully. “You and Shakespeare!”

Before she could laugh he raised his voice. “I'm going to call the TARDIS via your mobile. If I am correct, it should connect to your Doctor.”

“We’re gonna ring him?” Rose asked, suddenly all nervous and hopeful. “Will it work?”

The Doctor picked up the TARDIS phone, and set the handset against his ear sideways so she could mirror him on the other side.

“I’ve looped the feed through 1987, and with your mobile, the temporal signature should match up and...”

The signal connected, and they both grinned at the ringing which filtered through the line.

However, their expression faltered at the answering voice of... a child.


	20. Hearing Double

Static.

Rhythmic Static.

Wait... is that breathing?

Oh! The TARDIS must be waiting for him to say something else.

“This is the TARDIS, yeah?” Tony asked, not really waiting for an answer. “James told me all about you. He says you’re a senti... sentitienant! But you can’t says words. You don’t has to anyway. I think you’re perfect!”

The lights in the console room abruptly brightened, and Tony could feel the grating below his feet vibrating ever so slightly. Then over the line he heard a small yelp.

“Who is this?” a familiar male voice demanded.

Tony pulled the phone away to stare at it, then brought it back to his ear. “James?”

“Who’s James?” questioned a woman’s voice.

Tony blinked. “Rose?”

How did they call the TARDIS? Rose once said her mobile couldn’t phone the TARDIS anymore. Besides why are they calling anyway? Unless... oh, no. They’re lost.

A few seconds later the woman spoke again, “you know me?”

“Did you got lost?” Tony glanced at the door. “I didn’t got lost. What happened? You an’ James were right there.” Tony whined. “I'm not going to get you. I’m going to Woman’s Weeped, and it’s your fault you missed out.”

“Excuse me?” Rose’s voice raised in volume. “It's called Woman Wept, and I've been plenty of times, ta. What are you doing in the TARDIS anyway?”

The man who sounded like James nervously broke in, “uh, Rose, I don't think--”

Yet she continued shouting, “where is the Doctor?”

Rose knows where the Doctor is. She was walking with him, but if she's lost, so is the Doctor. Besides why is she yelling? She never yells at him. Not for something like this. What did he do so wrong?

“I don’t know,” Tony whimpered.

A muffled conversation followed. Tony listened closer, wondering if he was going to be punished for whatever upset her, yet it seemed the man who sounded like James was mocking Rose.

A clattering sound came through the speakers closely followed by him saying, “sorry,” gently, “I'm so sorry. Rose apologizes as well.” He heard Rose’s stifled bitter voice, and that’s when the man got louder, “We’re looking for the Doctor, is he in?”

“No.”

“No...?”

“No.”

Tony could practically hear the marbles in his head, “no. Might you know where he is then?”

“Suppose to be here.”

The man's tone hit a higher note, “here?”

“Here,” Tony confirmed.

“Here.”

“...Here...”

“Hey!” Boomed the Doctor.

Tony bounced off the console, stretching the phone cord taut as he hid it behind his back. Caught. And in big trouble if that cross expression is anything to go by.

“Of course.” He briskly threw his arms out wide toward the center console. Tony flinched. “Changed every setting. Definitely Jackie’s. Trust a Tyler to get out of hand.” He turned to James and Rose. “Keep an eye on him.” 

But James and Rose were busy gawking at the interior of the TARDIS. Rose held a hand to her mouth, and James was grinning from ear to ear, both in their own worlds. The Doctor shook his head at the two. Then began turning a knob, but slowly pulled away after three turns, pinching his fingers together experimentally. They came apart with effort, peeling away from one another.

“Fantastic,” he said, expression ice. The Doctor looked around then sighed. “Enjoy that Twizzler?” he asked Tony.

It was a nice enough question, which confused Tony, because his stiff demeanor contradicted it.

“Y-yeah,” he answered reluctantly.

The Doctor nodded at the phone cord, “an’ what’s that?”

Mildly confused, and still heavily in fear of the Doctor, Tony brought the phone into plain sight. “They was askin’ where you were.”

The Doctor stole it, and eyed Tony cautiously. “Didn’t tell them anything, did you?”

“Told ‘em everything. It was--” crawling out of his haze of fright, Tony was hit with an epiphany. Rose and James are right there in front of the door, but he was talking to them over the phone. He knows he was.

The Doctor took in a deep, controlled breath. “From now on anything in my TARDIS is off-limits. Got that?”

Intimidated out of his thoughts, Tony locked onto the Doctor and frantically nodded. “Yessir, got it. I won’t touch nothin’.”

The Doctor went to hang up, but James intercepted him. “Hold on.” He then directed the conversation at Tony. “You were talking to people. Actual voices?”

“Yeah,” he answered automatically.

James gave the Doctor a meaningful look, “You’ve not existed in this universe long enough for anyone to have your number.”

The Doctor’s mouth fell open. He swiftly brought the phone to his ear, the wire whipped around his opposite shoulder in the process, yet he paid it no mind.

“Who is this?” The Doctor hastily blurted.


	21. Welcome to Your Life

“Doctor?”

Her broken feeble voice was music to his ears.

It’s Rose. Not the Rose who’s been giving him a run for his money. Smothering him with too much information, emotion,  _ everything _ at every turn. Nope. Just plain old, young naïve Rose.

“Rose!” He shouted in breathless excitement.

Her answering laugh was enough for the tension to melt off his shoulders.

“Where are you?” He asked.

“With me, I’m afraid,” answered a man.

The Doctor’s happiness fractured at the sound of another person, he scowled. “Who’s this then?”

“Hello,” was the man’s bright reply. “I’m the Doctor.”

“Oh, no.” The Doctor glared at James. That’s his voice, no doubt.

James straightened his back, all attention on him. “What?”

“It’s you.” The Doctor stated.

James blinked. “Oh.” He worked his mouth, as if puzzling it out. “Oooh!” He suddenly beamed. “Weeell, isn’t that wizard?” James snatched the phone, all smiles as he spoke into it, “Remember me?”

“Hold on.” The Doctor worked around the console, ignoring how sticky every lever and dial had become. Whatever is going on will hopefully explain itself... now. The console monitor wavered, eventually centering, for a semi-clear picture.

“Connected the phone link to the TARDIS mainframe,” he told them as they abandoned the phone to crowd around the monitor.

“Video chat,” Rose grinned eagerly at James. “Reminds me of when we first met.”

The Doctor shot her a questioning look.

Rose shook her head. “The darkness, planets disappearing. I’ll tell you later.”

When the video feed had a strong enough link the Doctor tapped the screen. It appeared to be showing the interior of the TARDIS reflected back at him. Can’t be right.

Just when the Doctor began fumbling with the settings, a double of James popped onto the screen.

“Hello there,” he said.

The Doctor glanced at the James by his side. Then looked back at James on screen. James on screen appeared younger by a large sum. Doesn’t explain why there’s two right now though.

“Blimey, it’s like looking at the future --not that I don't do so daily.” James on screen mumbled, staring directly at his other self. “Mind you, I age well.”

James winked at him. Then they shared a long goofy smile that the Doctor almost gagged at. Are they flirting?

“If I’m not wrong... that’s the original Doctor.” Rose explained in awe, never once taking her eyes away. “The one James was cloned from.”

“Bit pretty.” the Doctor made a face. That's who he becomes after regeneration? The Doctor version of James... Doctor James. She no doubt preferred that younger look, but he didn’t appreciate earning Rose’s affections with appearances.

“Rose,” Doctor James called to somewhere beyond the screen. “Phone is o-over here,” he chuckled mid-sentence then took a step back.

Moments after, Rose swung into view. Eyes wide. “Doctor!” Then her sight roved over the older Rose and James at the Doctor’s side. “What?” She took a step back, caught off guard.

Doctor James caught her around the shoulder with one arm. When did they get so familiar? “Remember what I said about parallels and the clone?”

“Oh.” She relaxed. “Oh, that’s... yeah.” Then she shyly stepped free from his comforting grasp. The Doctor raised a brow. Huh.

“Awesome!” Tony squealed into the conversation. He climbed between them and grabbed the screen. “Is it like that story with the angels? Is it a recordering from the past?”

“No, Tony.” Older Rose scooped him off. His feet hit the grating with a rattling thud, and she knelt in front of him, twirling her hand in a circle as if searching for words. “It’s the, um, that’s parallel Doctor on the telly.”

“That’s the Doctor right there.” Tony adamantly pointed out the Doctor himself. He hid a smirk. Wise boy.

“No, it’s like...” She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Remember how I told you James is a clone? He was cloned from the Doctor, and that’s him there, he’s just in a parallel world.” Older Rose pointed at the screen. “A clone is—”

“I know what a clone is, Rose,” he spoke petulantly, “I learnted that years ago.”

Older Rose ruffled his hair till it stuck up at odd angles. “Cheeky little thing.”

The Doctor actually found himself smiling. “Bit more of Jackie in that one.”

“Is that your brother?” Doctor James leaned in close to the screen, as though it would help him get a closer look.

“Yep.” Older Rose lifted him with effort. “Tony Ty--”

“I can introduce myself.” Tony squirmed, only stilling when she clamped her mouth shut. “I’m Tony Tyler, I’m eight, and I want to meet the Slitheen!”

Everyone except Tony appeared to be appalled by the idea.

Older Rose had to explain, “he’s got this thing. Wants to fight evil aliens. Nothing easier to take on than a Slitheen, he says.”

“I’ve got a brother?” Young Rose looked curiously at Tony. “Did Mum really...?”

“Yep,” Older Rose said, popping the ‘p’ in a way that made both James’ smile. “Pete was still alive in this universe -turned single- then he met Mum, and along came Tony. But just recently Pete, um, passed away...”

Older Rose, James, and Tony went silent. The Doctor did his best to ignore them. Taboo topic.

“Really?” Young Rose questioned with a watery laugh. With such an odd reaction, everyone found themselves staring at her. “He lived for so long. I did it. I saved him. Did he-- was it a good life?”

“Yeah.” Older Rose slowly grinned. “Made it big. Vitex, his daft little schemes, they worked. He got rich. And--”

“Quit it,” Tony snapped through a scowl. He struggled free from Rose, and continued, “he’s gone, quit speakin’ of him!”

James sighed. “Tony.”

Tony clenched his fists. “I want to go to Woman’s Weep-- Wept. Let’s go to Woman’s Wept!”

“We will, just not now,” older Rose told him.

“But we need--”

“Tony,” her tone changed reprimandingly.

Tony swallowed. He paused a moment then pointed at the screen, voice shaking with restrained emotion as he asked, “why’s there two Roses?”

“She.” James scratched the back of his head, “she’s a clone.”

“Oi!” Young Rose cried. “I’m the original, ta.”

“What does that make me?” Older Rose asked, partially amused. “I’m older, shouldn’t I be the original?”

Young Rose bit her lip and tilted her head. “Not sure. How much older are you?”

“Enough.”

Young Rose raised a brow, leaning in just so. “Got skill to go with that?”

Older Rose smirked, mirroring her gesture. “If only you knew.”

He wasn’t sure if they were fighting, or if they were going to pounce each other for an entirely different reason, but he did know one thing. Scratch that, two. Although this encounter escalating would fair for good entertainment, he wanted it to stop from how the two James’ were watching with rapt attention.

“Right!” The Doctor clapped his hands, but had a hard time pulling apart. As he extracted a pack of sanitizing wipes, he hedged toward the main topic, “how's it you two were able to contact us?”

“He looped the, um.” Young Rose looked at Doctor James over her shoulder. “The phone feed through 1987.”

“The universe's haven't closed off!?” The Doctor and James exclaimed. They caught each others eye, still cautiously talking in sync afterwards, “but... that...”

“Means the universe's will bleed together,” Doctor James completed for them.

“But the universe split in 1987,” young Rose interjected. “You said. Shouldn’t they be safely joined there?”

Doctor James crossed his arms. “It does not work that easily. When the universe splits it does not go off into other parallel universes like the branches of a tree. It separates. 1987 stays the same on both sides, however from then on it is different.”

“Alright.” Young Rose rubbed her forehead. “Could’ve kept it at the—” she moaned, “all this is hurting my head.”

“The pills should be working.” Doctor James tilted her head up.

She swatted him away. “Not that. Everything’s double. It’s maddening.” She pointed at James. “What do I call you?”

“Me? I’m James.” He waved. “Hello.”

Rose drew her head back. “You’ve got a proper name?” After he shrugged silently she chose to address the Doctor and Doctor James. “Now how do I differ the two of you?”

The Doctor froze. She can’t possibly... Doctor James’ gaze fell away guiltily. How dare he. He told her. Doctor James told her. The Doctor’s jaw tightened. “He’s not me, Rose.”

“I know what you’re thinking.” Doctor James ran his hands through the side of his hair. “And no. Rose put two and two together herself. Wasn’t planning to tell her about regeneration, but, sorry.”

Rose looked all the world like she was trying not to bite his head off. “I get why you never said nothing, but a passing remark about it would have been a nice.”

“Rose pass the sonic, oh and by the way, when I’m near death I regenerate and become an entirely different person.” The Doctor’s words oozed sarcasm, but through it all, Rose couldn’t help but lose her sour expression. He painted a smile on to finish, “top of the morning!”

“Top of the morning. Yeah,” her whole sentence bordered on a nervous laugh that she could help but let go at the end.

“Us laughing about regeneration.” James scratched his eyelid to hide a grin. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

Young Rose perched herself in front of the screen. “Back to the issue. Suppose Doctor One and Doctor Two would do. Or a nickname.”

“I am rather dashing.” Doctor James held his nose high. “how ‘bout a nickname for me that encompasses that?”

“An’ you big head?” She raised a brow at him through a sidelong glance. “There isn’t a word big enough. And then it wouldn’t even be a nickname. Besides, I think I prefer northern, and leather-” she met the Doctor’s eye, “-for dashing.”

That... that was a honey sweet tone if he’s ever heard one. The Doctor’s mouth went slack. She’s flirting with him.  **Him** . In all his northern glory.

Somehow the Doctor popped out of his stupor to form answer of his own. “Been calling him Doctor James myself.”

Older Rose took a moment of thought. “Since when?”

“Since the narration.” He told her tersely. It should have been something she noticed ages ago.

“I will not be named after a clone,” Doctor James rebuked. “I’m the original in the original universe. It is Doctor. No more no less.”

“Tough,” the Doctor rebuffed. “I’m the Doctor, one and only. You’re some poor knock off.”

“ _ You’re _ younger.”

“Yeah, well  _ you _ act it.”

“Okay!” Both Rose’s exclaimed. James broke into a smile between the two.

It’s absurd the amount of coincidences one can have while running into one’s self. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.

They did not find humor in it this time, and young Rose was the one who decided to propel her irritation with the Doctor’s. “You two remind me of this chihuahua my Gran’s neighbor had. Stupid thing would bark endlessly at any passing canine.”

“I remember that!” Older Rose squealed. Then sheepishly cleared her throat when everyone stared at her. “Sorry.”

“From now on you’re Doctor James,” young Rose told him.

Doctor James immediately pouted. “Rose that... that’s not fair. I’m the Doctor. Don’t nickname me after a clone. I was nice.”

“It’s not a punishment,” James told him. “I can’t help it if you look like me.”

Doctor James leveled a narrow look at him. “Isn’t that my line?”

Simultaneously the Rose’s sighed, “don’t start.”


	22. Through the Looking Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed a week! Sorry! There was an incident that involved the hospital, tons of water, and a dent, but we're alright now. I think. By the time I realized I hadn't updated last Monday it was yesterday so...

Is it bad?

Possibly wrong.

More than a little weird.

Rose hugged herself. She’s done her best, but looking at the other Rose -her possible future- feels so off. She can’t understand why it bothers her. Her other self is happy.  Married .

Rose didn’t want to see the wedding ring, and she wasn’t sure why. It might be because it sets an expectation. That she marry the Doctor. Rather, Rose liked the thought. Perhaps blissful unawareness of the future was what she craved. No. Rose knew she could tempt fate. So what if she knows she gets married, that doesn’t mean she has to. Then  **what** ? What’s so vexing about this?

“What’s that?” The Doctor squinted at young Rose’s arms. “You’re covered in medical gel. That's potent stuff. What happened? Are you alright?”

“It's these Reaper,” young Rose explained. “Haven’t slept properly all week, buggers appear everywhere, 'an the wounds they make won't heal.”

“Same for me,” older Rose put in. “Exactly a week, and I’m sure it has to do with me living in this parallel world from what James has told me, but I’ve been here for years. So how’s that work? Why is this only affecting me now?”

“Ahh-umm.” Every Doctor defaulted to some nervous tic.

Her Doctor was the one who opted to speak first. “Time can have adverse effects on those who travel through it. What happened for me and Rose, happened a week ago for you, because that is when Rose was redistributed to in time; a week ago. This is due to the fact that a personal timeline is different from regular time. For instance I can jump forward ten years, but only take ten seconds personally. So, while this event happened at a different time  _ linearly _ , your timelines aligned with whatever problem was created at the universal split  _ personally _ when they met.”

It took a lengthy moment for everyone to absorb his sudden onslaught of information. For the James’ however, it seemed they were trying to come to grips with the fact that he could explain it at all.

“He's got you beat.” Rose raised a brow at Doctor James. “Explaining time, he got it closer than you. I think I understood that.”

“He can't beat me in anything.” He gestured at the Doctor in a confident manner which contradicted his skeptical voice. “He is me. That would be slander.”

“The Reaper.” Older Rose budged the Doctor over to allow her room onscreen. Sounding business professional, she queried, “why are they here? You can see it, yeah? With your time-sense.”

“Yep,” Doctor James said in tune with the Doctor’s, “‘course.”

“Can’t say my analysis is spot on though,” Doctor James admitted. Half-pondering to himself, he continued, “this entire world. There’s something odd about it. I don’t know. Slows down the Reaper. Confuses them. Does the same to me actually.”

“Odd; I could’ve told you that.” Young Rose spun away from the monitor and leaned against the console to face Doctor James. “Learning to live on an alien planet a week, you notice things quicker.”

“Alien planet!?” The Doctor bellowed, young Rose couldn’t see him, but the speaker had been right next to her when he shouted. She blinked a few times and cupped ear shut. “Where are the two of you?”

Young Rose scooted from the Doctor’s voice. “Planet’s named Tempus Fugit.”

“What!?” came three indignant Doctor yelps followed by Doctor James dropping his head into his hands. “ _ Nooo _ , but the poster,” he unfolded the paper, “...only states the universal coordinates. Why didn’t you write the planet’s name?” he asked young Rose accusingly.

“What’s wrong with the planet’s name?” she came back defensively.

“It’s a cliché,” he whined. “Time travelers end up here as a joke. Tempus Fugit’s a magnet on a planetary scale. A time magnet; negative, positive... broken.” He suddenly looked at Rose as though seeing her in a new light. “Any uncontained time is drawn here. You can see it in the people, the places. Everyone and everything is not the age they appear, because for centuries they have been absorbing time that the planet has pulled in. But that’s just it!” He whooped. “There isn’t a problem with time, there’s a problem with you!”

Rose raised a calm eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“The universe’s are still connected, and you’re out of place.” He stated then ran past her out the door.

“Doctor!” She called him, and could hear those from the parallel world doing the same. She stepped to the monitor to explain the Doctor’s actions, but realised she didn’t know what he was doing herself. Then when she did set out for him, he dashed back in. Throwing and pressing a familiar sequence of levers and buttons that tossed her onto the ground, and the TARDIS into the Vortex.

“I haven’t the foggiest what’s wrong, but the Reaper do. That means all I have to do is track them down, follow their movement, and find out what they like about you. But with time so closely drawn to the planet it overwhelms their senses. So, first I need an incentive.” The TARDIS made a rough landing. He went once more for the door, she followed, until he shouted over his shoulder. “It’s dangerous, I’m crossing your timeline, stay here!”

“Why are y-” Rose groaned when he slammed the door. Trust him to get over excited enough to forget explanations. With nothing better to do she returned to the monitor. However, James was the only one there. “Where’s the Doctor and...” she searched for a unique name to call her parallel self, but came short. “Other me?”

“Outside. Left after they heard his musings.” He clasped his hands behind his back and swayed from heel to toe. “Going bloodhound on those Reaper, same as my double.”

Calm, collected, and polite. Who is James? Is this that human part of the clone showing, because it's definitely nothing she's ever seen from the Doctor. Not to this extent. He's even waiting for her to reply.

The silence stretched on between the two.

“Hi.” Rose greeted him shyly. Why is it awkward? She's married to him -her other self is. Ah... perhaps that's why. James knows Rose, but he's a stranger to her. She felt her cheeks flushing. He might-  **no** he does actually know her a little  _ too _ well.

James chuckled, eyes sparkling. “Hello.”

“You're different,” she said before her brain caught the words.

His chuckle transformed into a laugh. “Got that from one look?”

“No, it's...” She bit her lip. Would he be offended if she called him human?

“I am different.” He swung into the captain's chair to better center himself with the screen. So she dusted off her chair then hopped onto it as well. “Taking the slow path has changed me. Living a human life. I’ve discovered my limits. Accepted I can’t do everything, yet learned I can do so much more as well.” He yanked his earlobe. “In other words, humanity has narrowed my perspective of the universe, but broadened how I experience life.” He smiled. “It’s wonderful. However, it was chaos at first; being grounded.”

Rose snorted at his word choice. “Can’t even begin to imagine you sitting still.”

“Jackie couldn’t either.” He shook his head. “First few months she would lock me outside. Said I drove her barmy.”

“How is Mum?” Rose leaned closer, interest heightened. “She got all that extra time with Dad. Was she happy?”

“Oh yes.” His eyes fell to the ground. “Her and Pete would flirt.” He groaned, “God they could flirt. Like two bloody teenagers, couldn’t let me and Rose have any decent time in public with them around. ‘Course Tony’s born, and we thought -good, they’ll cool off- no! I swear they were like two cats in heat, it was disgusting.”

Rose balked out a laugh. It wasn’t just the story, although that was funny to imagine, it was how he told it. The Doctor’s never ranted like that before.

James’ head shot up, as though he only just remembered she was there. He timidly rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Donna she, um, her personality took over there, I guess.”

“Oh,” Rose blinked. “Yeah, he told me about her.” She cleared her throat to smooth over her elation. “M’sorry about, you know, wh- what happened.”

James’ eyes widened. “He told you?”

“Yeah.” Was she not suppose to know?

James sat back, staring at her. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but eventually decided to sit back as well.

“I remember being him,” he spoke at last.

“You are him.”

He nodded. “I am always the Doctor, but one thing you need to remember is I do not always act like the Doctor. Who you know as the Doctor could change. You don’t even have to wait for a regeneration.”

She’s certainly seen a change. But, “what do you mean?”

“I can’t-” he took a deep breath. “-I remember exactly how he felt. Who I was before the war was not exactly a sane person, however after the war it became so easy for me to just... give up.”

“You don’t-”

“He does. Not on the universe, not on  its occupants , he’s giving up on himself.” He leaned onto his hands, elbows propped up on his knees. “With my home planet, Gallifrey, gone I wasn’t looking for a replacement. Wouldn’t let that happen, but you opened me up to the possibility.” He cracked a smile. “Jackie hated me at first, but then we spent Christmas together. You, me, Jackie, and Mickey.” He met her eye, voice relaxed. “You gave me your home. Then you left. Every companion after you has gone as well It’s hard to see the point of caring enough for myself to find another companion to help me in this dark time, if it means I will lose them again.”

So absorbed in his story, Rose hadn’t realized her voice would shake as she replied, “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I never realized you were filling that void -that safety of a home- till you left, but when we were together I was who I am now.” He flashed her a smile. “Maybe not as mellow, definitely a bit more crazy, slightly inconsiderate, thousand words a minute-”

Rose giggled him to a halt, “alright.” Then she swallowed her happiness. Taking into consideration the subject of their discussion, and wondering how they got so off-topic. “Why are you telling me this?”


	23. Checkmate

James’ response was a smile.

A quick quirk of the lips that felt artificial in itself.

He took a breath to give Rose an answer when the pinstriped Doctor tumbled through the TARDIS doors. “Got it!” he shouted. “Had to have the translation circuits off for this trip. Found myself in nasty misunderstanding.” He dusted off his trousers.

Draped over his shoulder was a jean jacket. A very familiar jean jacket.

“Is that mine?” Rose asked incredulously. “My jacket? You went back in time to steal my jacket? That was you a three days ago!?”

“Rose, I have a good reason,” he told her as he moved around the console, spiraling them into the Vortex.

She opened her mouth to disprove his  _ good reason _ , as she clung to the captain’s chair, but remembered her whole problem when she lost the jacket had been personal. She had set it down, turned away, and then it was nowhere to be found. Assumed someone stole it. And that had been her breaking point. Having been abandoned, confused, and lost on Tempus Fugit, she cried for days. No one knew her. No one could comfort her. Not even Alexandre. She had never felt so alone, because that’s when she accepted no one would come for her.

That’s when she gave up.

Rose felt her fury turn cold. She glanced at James, as he still wore that fragile smile. So, this was his plan. But knowing how the Doctor feels, empathising, isn’t going to fix it. She knew how to fix her problem, sure, but this Doctor- oh... except, she doesn’t really know how to fix her problem, does she? First she returns to her Doctor. Then... what? That world is not her home. Not anymore.

“Did I miss something?” The Doctor peeked at the screen after landing.

She hopped off the chair, and felt her resolve hit the floor with her trainers. “Why do you need my jacket?”

“To,” the Doctor prolonged the word, looking from the screen to Rose who chose to take a wander around the console. “Bring the Reaper. See, not only is the jacket from your universe, I have also pulled it out of time. The Reaper will be more than happy to focus on this little anomaly.”

“Flock like pigeons to me,” she told him. “I’ll take a stroll around the TARDIS and-”

“No,” he firmly stated. “You, of all people, will not be bait.” The Doctor stepped around the console to her, and she felt like a cornered animal the way he approached. The Doctor took Rose’s hand, and she breathed a mental sigh of relief that she didn’t flinch. “These injuries have done more than enough damage already. It’s a wonder I made it when I did, but you can not afford any more risks.”

Rose only stared back. She’s not some porcelain doll, and he most certainly will not paint her that way.

But he must have seen that defiance in her eyes for his softened. “Please?” He added.

She took a deep breath and nodded. Defeat.

A series of noises traveled over the air from the speakers. The Doctor left her to check out the parallel TARDIS as she busied herself by idling touching the controls. A stray thought of an event earlier came to mind. Rose put her palms flat against a bare part of the console, and simply felt. A thrum of life danced under her fingertips as if answering an unasked question. Rose wanted to smile at it, but found she couldn't.

“Oh, hello,” the Doctor greeted the monitor.

“Hello,” Rose heard her other self respond. “I sent James out to help the Doctor. Once the Reaper were close enough he grabbed it with his bare hands,” Rose could hear the disbelief in her voice.

“Ah.” The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. “That is one way of doing it.”

There was a laugh. “I forgot how reckless you could be.”

“How long has it been?” He asked. A casual question, _ how's the weather _ , although it was rather intimate from his lips. The man who constantly moved. Never looked back. Never asked a question unless it was important.

“Long.” she told him. “Close to ten years.”

“That would explain-” he drifted off. “-explain Tony's age.”

“Nice save.”

“I thought so, yeah.” He lifted his hand, the back of it facing the screen, and wiggled his fingers. “So, you and James?”

“Yeah.”

Rose observed this Doctor's behavior then. Of course his face showed nothing, but his hands braced against the console off-screen, were white knuckled with restraint.

So, understandably, she was surprised to hear his soft chuckle. “Making an honest man out of him.”

“He was a nightmare to break in.” She laughed. “Has no one ever house trained you?”

“Wild and free, that's me.” He stared intently at the screen, face a mask, and she knew what he was going to ask next.  _ Are you happy? _

Rose suddenly panicked, unprepared to hear it yet, she said a little too loudly, “Doctor.” His head jerked up. “My jacket?”

He gripped the fabric. “Right.” The Doctor went to the door, Rose pursued, however he stopped her at the threshold.

She rolled her eyes then asked. “Now what?”

“Well.” He dropped her jacket on the ground outside.

“Okay?”

“Yep.” He popped the ‘p’. “Now we wait.”

“That it?”

“What did you expect?”

Rose tilted her head. “Bit anticlimactic.”

“Time is anticlimactic,” he answered sagely. “It’s when you’ve realized how much has past that you begin to see how dramatic it truly is.”

“One from your pocket full of wisdom?” She quipped.

“Of many.” He winked.

A puddle gathered around her garment lying on the concrete. The Doctor knelt down, ignoring those appearing around himself, as the Reaper began eating away at the denim.

“Fascinating.” He looked at her with a devilish twinkle in his eye and said, “reckless is as reckless does,” before thrusting his right hand into the Reaper.

Rose's hand flew to her mouth to muffle a surprised squeak.

“The Reaper and I live one similar playing fields,” he grunted, and his free hand flew up to squeeze the wrist of his other. “As a Time Lord I live in this dimension, but part of my awareness is within the realm of the fourth dimension. While Polar to that, the Reaper exist in the fourth dimension, yet can project themselves here. Therefore.” His face contorted in pain. Rose watched, horrified, as his distorted hand cloaked in the Reaper stripped down to the bone, and even that was slowly being eaten away. Inches from him, her jacket had already dissipated down to one mangled sleeve. “I can reach a common ground with our time senses, and understan-”

She couldn’t take it. That jacket had now broke down to nothing, and Rose was sure the Doctor would soon become the same as they crept into his trainers. She reached out, pulled, and forcibly dragged him back through the TARDIS doors. The Reaper hit an invisible force field at the entrance when she did, splattering against the surface like thick stew, sliding down languidly until it vanished.

Rose had the Doctor propped against her lower legs. Supporting him as she reined in her distress. The Doctor held his hand parallel to his face. And they stared wide-eyed as it slowly pieced back together with flesh that appeared seemingly out of thin air.

“No harm, no foul.” The Doctor beamed.

Rose took a big step back, causing him to painfully smack against the floor. “Sorry, could you say that again?” she prompted sourly. “What right do you have to risk yourself like that? That was stupid. If I hadn’t been here, how far would the Reaper have gotten? They take enough of you, you won’t be able to get away. Doctor, you'd die.” Although he seemed glued to his hand, as though unaware she even spoke. Rose gripped his shoulder. “I won’t have you dying, Doctor. Now stop acting daft, and tell me you will not do something like that again.” Still nothing. “ **Tell me!** ”

“Ooh,” he spun round to his feet, anger in his expression which contradicted his cheerful tone. “I know how I’ll die. I know. You’re not the first to address it, ‘he shall knock four times.’ And I doubt. I highly doubt _you_ or _anyone else_ around here can fulfill that prophecy.” He swooped into her personal bubble. “Until then, there’s nothing that can stop me. I’ve even added a few personal touches on a fixed point in time.” He laid his hands on his chest and laughed. “Look at me! Still standing. Goes against all Time Lord codes to change a fixed point in time. But I did it. Tested the limits, and guess what? There are none. Not for me.”

Borderline berserk. Rose reached out, placing her hand flat against his hearts.

They beat steadily, familiar, yet so foreign. Her next words came on a breath, “who are you?”

The Doctor’s expression fell. His mouth dropped open as though forming an excuse, but nothing came.

Rose cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to focus. To understand. “Never say that.” He inhaled sharply. “I never want to hear you say that again. You’re incredible, but you’re not that.” Her voice carried on gently. “Time Lord is only your species. You are the Doctor. My Doctor.” Roses hands fell to his shoulders. She held him tightly there, hoping to embed the words into his senses.

Least till a commotion from the monitor got his attention.

He dashed to the screen, asking it, “well?”

“‘Side’s almost losing an arm?” She heard her northern Doctor say. “The Reaper are in the wrong area.”

Rose came around. “What do you mean?”

The Doctor focused his blue eyes on young Rose as he explained, “I took a look see at their intents. The Reaper are after you alright, but they’re chasing the wrong one here. An’ since the universe’s are still connected, bleeding together, they’ve got their knickers in a twist to get rid of the problem as quickly as possible. So, they see a Rose, and try to take her.”

Rose responded far more calmly than she felt, “this whole... everything is because of me? Just me?”

The Doctor’s lips remained shut.

“You can fix it. Right?” young Rose pressed, somewhat hysterically, “Doctor, you can fix it. I know it.”

“Rose-”

“No!” she shouted on the verge of tears. “What was your  plan ? I wanted to know you at least had a solution or something.”

“I did,” he defended. “Planned to get you back here, TARDIS, safe and sound.”

She threw her arm out. “What about Mum?” Again, he had no words. “Mickey? My home? That’s not my world Doctor. How did you plan to fix that?”

He slouched forward, holding himself up with the console. “I had hoped to tell you later, but Rose.” He took a deep breath. “You’ve been extracted from time. It’s like you never existed in this universe, because that’s what happened. Only reason I still know you is due to my Time Lord abilities. See, the universe wasn’t meant to redistribute you the way it did. The TARDIS had kept you here in 1987, while at the same time the universe was pulling a slingshot to set you into the other universe. When I left you there, it let go. Pushed you too far. However, you’re from this universe.” He pointed meaningfully at the ground. “It redistributed wrong since it already saw a Rose here, it put a Rose there. In a way it’s still trying to mend that, therefore the universes are still connected. It’s unnatural.”

“What about me?” Older Rose asked. “Mum, Mickey, we’re not from  _ this _ universe.”

He shook his head. “Universe didn’t put you here, you were implanted in a manner of speaking, by mechanical means. Not forced, so the universe has moved around you lot. Worked you into time.”

The tears were spilling freely down her cheeks, but young Rose took no notice. “Did you even have an idea of how to get me back? You saw an end goal, yeah, but do ya got something worked out? At all?”

“It’s a possibility,” he began, crossing his arms in a reserved posture. “Head down to 1987, meet where the universes are still one.”

“Time would unravel,” Doctor James broke in tonelessly. “Too much paradoxical activity for it to remain stable.”

The Doctor’s eyes fell to that.

“I never even had a choice?” Young Rose’s voice was near whisper. “Doctor?” Rose tentatively spoke. “I’m staying here.”

The Doctor took a step closer, as if to grab her hand, but immediately turned away from the screen. Pacing. “Rose, there’s another way. Has to be, we-”

“Even if there were, what would I do?” She watched his figure blur. Closed her eyes, found the words, and said, “there’s a Rose right there.” She pointed. “She’s got a life, a family. An’ you’ve got her.”

“She’s not.” The Doctor glanced at older Rose. “It’s not the same. Rose.” His eyes pleaded with her. “I can’t leave you there.”

“Apparently, it’d destroy the whole of reality,” she told him.

“So?” He rebutted. “Can fix anything, me. All I need is a roll of duct tape.”

She chuckled through a sob.

“It’s strange,” older Rose spoke, voice quivering. “You should be the one fighting him on this.” She shook her head dubiously. “How can you be mature now? Of all times.”

“M’not.” Young Rose swiped at her tears. “I’m being selfish, because I can’t leave him alone. Not here. Not after what he’s been through.” Young Rose motioned her hand to the Doctor at her side. Then told her Doctor, “he tampered with a fixed point in time.”

The Doctor grabbed the screen, sneering at Doctor James as he did so. “Fixed point!?” He yelled. “Dancing on the grave a Gallifrey, are you? How  **petty** have you become? How many years, how long did it take for you to fall so far?” Doctor James audaciously held his ground under the onslaught. So, the Doctor turned his temper instead on young Rose. “You can’t stay. He’s dangerous, Rose.”

Rose took the hand of the pinstriped Doctor at her side, unwavering in her decision. “He’s you, Doctor.”


	24. Fall Into Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's chapter felt too short, then Ten's too long, so I used Tony's chapter as a break in-between and viola! Triple feature, enjoy!

Self sacrifice.

It’s a valiant deed.

The Doctor twined their fingers together.

Probably not willingly, he supposes. She’s doing this with sympathetic justification. Might as well throw in logical as well. Support her. Because he dearly wants this.

“One universe will not accept two Rose’s. Even if she did return, the TARDIS will have to remain by her side constantly, lest the two Rose’s timelines attempted to blend together. Not only that, Rose will not even have her true friends and family with her. Living in the shadow of her own life.”

Still Rose shouldn’t be carrying this decision on her own.

The Doctor’s the hero. Not her.

His grip loosened. She isn’t aware of what she’s giving up for this solution. Rose can’t know, or she’d never do it. She would be happier with that daft old face, and even having to live a shadow of her life, is still  **her** life.

She shouldn’t be making this decision. She can’t without knowing the consequences. That’s why it’s his job. Know the aftermath, and choose what’s best.

Suddenly, her hand hugged tighter to his, and all reason flew out the window.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Rose sniveled, gravitating to the monitor. “You said the past is like another country, Doctor. So’s the future. It’s so different.” Her eyes darted to everyone. “But it’s not the future, is it? I’m not going to become her. Not anymore. Same way you won’t become him.” She lifted their joined hands.

“You’re new.” Doctor James spoke up, staring enchanted at their locked fingers, memorising the feel. “The both of you. No charted path. What you choose now defines who you will be. Not us. Someone different, but the same.”

“Parallel,” older Rose put in. “As you should have been. Living here, in this parallel world. The Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS. Making different choices.”

“Except now you’re on the wrong sides of the universe,” James finished.

“Rose,” young Rose addressed her other self, then bubbled up with a small laugh. “This is so mental, but you’re me, yeah?”

Older Rose smirked, her eyes falling to the floor. “Doubting me now?”

“Yeah.” She answered honestly. “If the Doctor says you’re not the same, than who are you? An old married lady? What do you do for fun? Watch EastEnders with Mum?”

“Oi!” Older Rose yelped. “I’ve got a job, responsibilities. Can’t just... and our TARDIS hasn’t grown enough yet.”

“Excuses.” Young Rose wrinkled her nose. “Really though, what are you like? How are you different?”

Older Rose zeroed in on Doctor James, contradictingly casual she stated, “I grew up. Went without the Doctor for a few years, and discovered someone has to be him. So, I took charge. Got an education. Let nothing get in my way.”

“You mean, you became him when we first met?” Young Rose pointed at the northern Doctor.

Older Rose went wide-eyed, sight flittering from James to the Doctor. Oh. Those words. He left Rose on that beach fully expecting her to better the meta-crisis, whilst carrying on with life as it was when they were carefree. Happy. But who did he leave that clone with? Doctor James reluctantly met older Rose’s eye. She’s no longer a Rose who can rectify a war torn Doctor. She’s war torn herself. Why hadn’t he seen so earlier?

Gradually the evidence came forward. She had wielded a gun. Encouraged the Osterhagen Key. And a jacket, she wore a leather jacket. Probably a homage to the home and life she lost by adopting the look and behavior he wore when he lost his own.

The Doctor turned, frightened, at the Rose by his side. Staying in this world would place her in a similar situation. He can’t do that to her. She’ll turn broken.

As a broken man himself, he highly doubted he could pick up her breaking pieces, as his were scattered themselves.

“You know him,” young Rose continued despite Doctor James’ silent revelations. “You’re married to him, but what does that mean? I’ve not seen the two of you laugh, or joke, or nothin’ like me and the Doctor do.”

“W-we do.” Older Rose took James’ hand. “It’s been years though, we’ve toned down. We’re not kids.”

“Then what’s the point? Settle down, get a house, that's not what I wanted. We had a better life traveling. Remember? Just because James turned into a human, doesn’t mean you both have to live like ones.” Young Rose turned to the Doctor, who had gone expressionless through the entire tirade. “Our future, they’ve forgotten, Doctor. Gone domestic, can’t like that.” She gave him a trembling smile. “An- and he needs me. Call it silly, but I think we were made for each other.” Young Rose bumped shoulders with Doctor James. “We’ve got each other. And Doctor, you’ve got a family. That Rose has a perfectly good one. And I... I’ve got nothing to give you.” She nearly choked on her words. “Not anymore.”

The Doctor came forward, clenched fists, and rigid posture. “Rose, you’re being whimsical, and idiotic in dealing with this entire situation,” he finally spoke, a storm brewing in his eyes. “What you’re giving up, do you even have an inkling?” He spat. “She’s not your mum, no, but she’s better than none. Rose, you’ve got nothing there.  _ Nothing _ . You think you’re doing what’s right by giving up? Take these two.” He threw an arm out to older Rose and James. “Why are they living here? Why are they living in a **parallel world** ? I’ll tell you why,  **he** saw a place to tuck away his past, and did it. Ran away. Who’s to say he won’t leave you Rose? He doesn’t deserve you.” He took a deep breath and lowered his voice, “I made a promise to protect you. Your mum may not be here, but my word will always stand. Rose. You will return.”

The Doctor didn’t wait for her response, simply went off screen. Two or three clicks could be heard before young Rose asserted, “he made the same promise!”

* * *

 

In the TARDIS.

Got the Doctor.

And they want to discuss  him ?

Tony stomped aimlessly down the TARDIS halls.

Tony left, not that they ever noticed. No one ever notices him. Treat his feelings so delicately, but they don’t really care about him.

Tony bit his lip, tensed every muscle, made fists, and stamped his foot hard. He will  **not** cry. If they don’t care, it doesn’t bother him. Whatever game they're playing, they can play. He doesn’t need them, he doesn’t need anyone.

Still, Tony sniffled.

If his dad was going to disappear, why couldn’t his memory go with him? Tony doesn’t want to remember anymore. It makes him weak. Makes him want to cry. He hates crying. It gets everyone’s attention. And they mollycoddle him, like they care, like they can make the pain go away. They can’t. They should stop. But they never see, never understand it doesn’t help, because they keep trying. So persistent; annoying.

And it’s only ever when he’s crying. Are they expecting his tears to instantly vanish? It doesn’t work so easily.

If they wanted to help they would forget him already. Pretend it never happened. Pretend Pete never existed. Because he’s gone. What’s the point in mourning? He’s gone. That’s it.

Except.

There’s moments when he’s not.

When Mum’s planning dinner. When James is alone. When Rose goes to work. They cry. They cry like he’s still dying.

Who’s comforting them?

Tony’s tried, thinking maybe comfort is a magical solution that could work on them and not him. But they see him, and hide it. Smile. Joke. Ask what he’s up to. Makes Tony feel like he’s giving them unnecessary attention. Makes him feel silly.

Pete’s death is like a dent in everyone’s life that no one wants to address. So, why do they want to make Tony feel better about it, if they don’t want to themselves?

If they don’t need comfort, he doesn’t need comfort.

They should know that. Because they still send him to school. Still make him eat, sleep, bathe. Still let life go on, even when he’s not ready. They made him move on. They should as well. Stop remembering Pete already.

“What about Ohana!?”

Tony was startled back to reality by a girl’s muffled voice. A door to his right had cracked open, projected on the floor inside he could see luminescent colors from a tele against the ground. Curiosity increasing, he stepped forward. Although Tony felt wary after his last encounter with the Doctor in the console room. No touch. But the floor seemed to be urging his feet, an invitation, and he couldn’t help by comply.

“He hasn’t been here that long,” came another voice.

Tony peeked inside. Then threw the door fully open. It’s a theater! Rows upon rows of seats that lined a sloped floor which led down to a huge projection of the movie  _ Lilo & Stitch _ .

“Neither have I,” the girl replied. “Dad said ohana means family.”

The animation drew Tony in. A whole theater to himself, how cool is that? He looked around and spotted a big comfy chair in the back. Popcorn, candy, and a drink right there waiting for him. He beamed and ran happily to it.

“Ohana means family. Family means-”

“-Nobody gets left behind,” the two characters said in unison.

“Oor,” the girl prompted.

“Or forgotten.”

* * *

 

He did.

He remembers 10 Downing Street quite vividly.

And that promise so long ago. How long ago was it for them? Still fresh more than likely. Fresh enough for those words to sting.

The tension weighed on them all. Older Rose and James were the only ones Doctor James could gauge the Doctor’s response by, and since they were silently watching, he assumed the Doctor actually paused to let the words seep in.

Abruptly the TARDIS shuddered, on both ends, as he watched their counterparts hit the floor beyond the monitor. Doctor James nearly went down himself, but managed to hold young Rose and himself upright.

“What’s happening!?” The Rose’s yelled.

Both Time Lords howled in agony. Soon after Doctor James could hear the Doctor explaining the situation on the other end, faintly, so he turned to young Rose and did so himself.

“Universes are about finished melding together. Half-done, I’d say. Timelines are,” he bent into himself. “Failing! Blimey, my senses.” Doctor James pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. “TARDIS has been buffering it. Not anymore. We’ve been procrastinating, and she knows it.”

“Are you alright?” Young Rose moved under him to push his chest upright. “What can I do?”

“They want you gone, or together with your other self, can’t work around your timeline.”

“I have to...” she trailed off, terrified.

“No!” he shouted, “Your timeline is broken, you’re not cemented to any sort of time. Unaccepted. You’re poison, Rose. We only have to change that.”

“However fixing your timeline grounds you to the universe you’re fixed in,” the Doctor stated loud enough to break Doctor James’ concentration. “Rose, you can’t trust him.”

“Back on that again.” Young Rose rolled her eyes, glowering at him.

“Once upon a time he was me, not anymore, he’s changed.”

“Yeah, he was you, but now he’s on his own.” Her bottom lip trembled as she went on, sounding more confident than she looked. “You’re not thinking about this, Doctor, you would have been him. He’s falling, and no one’s catching him. I don’t want to see that happen. Not to you. Besides, you won’t be alone. She is me.” Young Rose pointed at her alternate self. “Bit cranky, but she’s me, and she won’t leave you on your own either.” Her hand dropped. “Show her the universe again, because I’m sure she’s forgotten what it’s like. Too much beans on toast.”

“You gonna keep takin’ wisecracks at me?” Older Rose raised a brow.

“You make it too easy.”

Older Rose turned away, muttering under her breath, “ooh, to slap myself.”

“You will look after him though?” Young Rose asked, still too uncertain.

Older Rose did not hesitate, “absolutely.”

“What am I?” The Doctor piped in, still rubbing his temples from the pain. “A pet?”

Young Rose smirked. “That’s three feedings a day,  **loves** praises, and he appreciates a little scratch every so often, just below the ears.”

“Glad you remembered that, thanks,” the Doctor put in, all sarcasm.

They’re wandering away from the matter at hand, and the whole of reality fighting outside is a painful reminder of that. So, Doctor James took hold of young Rose. “To mend your timeline I’ll need a Reaper. Maybe give me your left shoe or-”

“Left a Reaper at Alexandre’s pub,” she said. “One I caught.”

In the blink of an eye Doctor James was around the console, moving the TARDIS to Alexandre’s pub, then out the door. However, just as fast, he ran back in.

“What?” Rose asked.

Doctor James gripped fistfuls of his hair. At all angles time  _ hurt _ . The pressure of it outside took a metaphorical knife to the core of his very person. It’s a wonder he even stood, although stiffly, after that. Away from that gruesome world where time is literally being ripped from its veins, and squeezed, like wringing out the blood of an animal for a meal. He nearly fainted. Too much. His senses would go numb with more exposure.

“S’like when I look through Mum’s old prescription glasses,” Rose explained from the direction of the door. “The world is all out of focus, Doctor. Can we really fix this?”

“Yes,” he answered hoarsely. “It’s not melded completely together. Not yet. Once I get a Reaper-” A wiggling plastic bag swung in front of his nose. He stood up straight, ready to scold. “Rose, I told you not to go-”

“Not even a thanks?” She admonished him. “Fine. I’ll say it. Thank you, Alexandre.”

The Doctor whipped around. Alexandre stood outside the door, but instead of marvelling at the interior as a visitor usually did, he watched its two occupants.

“You’re leavin’,” Alexandre said with an inscrutable expression etched onto his face.

Young Rose shrugged a shoulder at Doctor James. “He’s not one for goodbyes.”

“Same go for you?”

Past Alexandre the Doctor observed the world become more in focus, then completely blur. Unable to cope with two realities, and falling apart. Double of everything trying to occupy one space. Maddening to watch, let alone feel.

“No.” She took wide steps to Alexandre, enveloping him into a hug. “I’m so glad you found me that day.”

“Not as glad as me.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Finding a human, never thought I’d see ya in a lifetime. Come ‘round sometime. Visit. Bring your friends.”

Rose chuckled. “Of course.”

“Goodbye.” He smiled. 

“Bye.” She let go, and gave a small wave. “Till next time.”

He nodded. Then sternly faced Doctor James. “Rose told me you’re the Doctor.” He scoffed. “Wearin’ a new face.” He grabbed the door, as if to leave, then said, “You hurt her again, I’ll kill you.”

_ Get in line. _ He wanted to say, but knew this was important for the both of them and instead replied, “I promise she’s safe.”

Alexandre failed to question anything. Almost as though he knew more than he should and just left. Closing the door behind him as he did. Thank goodness.

Doctor James took the bag from Rose, knowing this was going to break the promise he created only a moment ago. And feeling as though he had become an executioner, he asked her, “ready?”

Rose shook her head, backing, then trailing off from the bag in his hand to the monitor at the console. Doctor James took a deep breath as he came to her side. Here we go.

“How do I start saying goodbye to you? Can’t even think of good goodbye words,” young Rose asked the Doctor.

The Doctor in turn gravely responded, “Rose, I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?” Rose cocked her head. Wearing a ghost of a smile. “Your fault all this went to hell? Or were our times together really so bad?”

He smirked, followed by a breath of a laugh. “You're right. Could’ve done without meeting Jackie, but running with you. Traveling. It was  _ fantastic _ .” His adams apple bobbed. “Thank you, Rose.”

Once more the tears pooled at young Rose’s eyes, tired and straining, from all the other times she’s cried today. “Couldn't have been any less.” Her voice quivered. “I mean, before me, what was it? You, TARDIS, and the universe? Wasn't nothing till after you met me.”

He laughed, but it was more of a knee-jerk reaction than anything.

Young Rose watched him with a certain degree of seriousness, composing herself before she spoke, “I know life wasn't nothing before I met you. I mean it. You made me a better person.”

From then on their voices only decreased in volume. The longer they went, the more the words seemed for each other, than for the prying ears in the room that had no choice but to listen.

“You did more than that for me.” The Doctor brought his hand to the screen and ran his thumb along the corner. “Found me in my worst, yet you stuck around.”

“Persistent to a fault.”

He smirked then confessed sincerely, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Ditto.”

“Rose, you’re not allowed to ‘ditto’ that.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Alright,” she conceded, and by now her voice was almost less than a whisper. “I’ll miss you too.”

They shared a smile. Prolonged, pure, and damaged. Reserved for one another.

Older Rose dabbed at her tears. “This isn’t getting any easier to watch.”

The Doctor used her interruption as an opportunity to thrust the conversation onto Doctor James. “You left her and I lost her.”

“Quite an eye,” Doctor James deadpanned.

“Now I’m trusting you.” Full of contained energy the Doctor’s voice shook, with only a hint of vulnerability to show as it fractured on her name. “Take care of her. Take care of Rose.”

Doctor James held his head high, took her hand, and unblinking said, “always.”

Once more the TARDIS knocked them about. Ignoring the imbalance, both Doctor’s dived into action around the center console.

Holding one lever down, and turning a knob, Doctor James kicked the bag. “Rose, untie it.”

She jolted back. “What!?”

“Hurry!”

Young Rose knelt to it, curling her fingers in the closer she got. Then in a few deft movements, she had the knot loose, but the opening squeezed shut. Task accomplished, she rose up to her feet, bag gingerly in hand.

Once the TARDIS was ready he came to young Rose and laid a hand over hers.

Carefully Doctor James explained, “the Reaper take broken time and give it purpose. Positive, negative, remember?”

“They’re going to fix me?” She tried to pull away. “They scatter time, you said.”

“Where will the Reaper scatter it to?” He patted the TARDIS. “She’s going to contain your time. Link it back to the natural flow. Connect you to this universe, because right now you’re free floating.”

“The TARDIS is going to fix me?”

“Not alone.”

Doctor James unwrapped her fingers. The bag hit the ground. And without any outside buffers, the Reaper captured Rose. Fully enclosing her within itself, like a form fitting bubble.

Rose gasped, but the usual sting never came.

“I’m controlling it.” He told her. “Roaming wild for so long, the Reaper have become desperate. Eating more than time. See, naturally people have a veil of time which clings onto their given surfaces.”

She hesitated, gathering back her wits. “The skin?”

“The skin. An individual's veil of time is like a door to their personal timeline, and the Reaper were eating past that veil of time to the physical material underneath. Which is more than they should consume, although now the process is proceeding normally with my supervision. Time converting from broken to -weelll- not broken.”

He watched as she moved their linked hands to and fro. “Is this hurting you?”

“Quite the opposite actually.” He perked up at her concern. “Once you’re patched up, space and time can mend. Everything will return to its rightful place.” Doctor James could see the broken time swirling through the air, circulating, and flowing back into Rose as the Reaper repaired it. He swallowed down a bit of guilt. “I’ve set the TARDIS to seal the walls between universes when we’re done. She’s doing so as we speak.”

At those words Rose gave the monitor her full attention, and called, “hey.”

Older Rose, who had been attentive to every interaction whilst holding James’ hand, responded right away when young Rose locked eyes with her. “Yeah?”

“Stuck on Earth. No TARDIS.” Young Rose sucked in a breath, seemingly forcing herself to say aloud the following words, “were you happy?”

“Yeah.” Older Rose glanced at James, almost amused, because the answer must have been obvious. Young Rose nearly smiled at the sight.

“Rose.” The Doctor laid his hand partially on the screen, curling his fingers around the side as if trying to hold her hand once more. Then he offered her a grin. “Have fantastic adventures. Put ours to shame.”

Older Rose took the Doctor’s free hand, smiling timidly as she did. Young Rose mirrored the Doctor’s gesture, beaming through her tears as the Reaper began to dissipate from her person. Finished with the task it had been sent to carry out.

“Couldn’t do that, but I can promise they’ll be just as memorable. Just as important. Because you will always be the most important Doctor to me.” Young Rose’s eyebrows crinkled, but she refused to let her smile fade. “My Doctor.”

Their images on screen flickered, then faded to black. Echoes of their last words were the only noises that could be heard now, loud and clear, even if only through their memories.

Connection Terminated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End-- sorta. There will be two epilogues, so here's to hoping you stick around~


	25. Epilogue of Moving On

Long since it shut down he remained.

Watching the vision through his eyes of where she had last occupied the screen.

“You going to be alright?”

Other outcomes came to mind. The Doctor could have went to her, moved to the main universe. Or force Rose to return. Use her sympathy to turn her decision. Blackmail her.

Possibilities. None of which would have ended well. And not only due to the fact that the universe is unable to live in harmony with doubles. Every choice carries a consequence. Even if-

“Doctor!”

Rose’s voice beckoned him to the walls as he stood in the eye of a hurricane. He twisted to face her. Hesitating. Mentally suspended far from that repelling line of reality which would bring this hardened Rose into his realm of existence. No. His eyes fell on the lifeless screen.

“Doctor...” Rose murmured.

Her life isn’t one he can fit comfortably in. Bound to a life by emotion. The deep seeded kind that reeked of forever. Forever tied to others. Forever stopping to fix a problem because they do not live fleetingly. Can’t move on without everyone being alright.

A part of him wanted that.

The other part wanted to run.

Tony stumbled into the console room. Blinking at the lights, now too bright, compared to the dull theater surroundings.

Like statues, everyone stood vacant. Whatever was going on with the clones is done, because the monitor’s off. Meaning this is the optimum time for a suggestion. Tony skipped the rest of the way to them, and feeling brave, smiled.

“Woman Wept! Let’s go! Can we go!? Please!” He yanked the Doctor’s jacket, capturing his full attention.

The Doctor didn’t miss a beat. He grinned at the boy. “Why not?”

And Tony squealed, even as the TARDIS threw him onto the metal grating.

Rose and James held fast to the railing, sharing a sympathetic look as the Doctor ran giddily around the console. One last switch and the TARDIS jarred into place. Its passengers held their breath for the inevitable exit.

Caught up in the familiar sequence of events, the Doctor anticipated Rose’s response, but a laugh died in his throat when she looked none too excited. 

Tony dashed to the door, doing his best victory dance in front of it. This is happening! Woman Wept! Years of stories about alien planets, and now  _ now _ he finally gets to see one!

The Doctor politely spread his arm to the door for Rose, ladies first, and smirked when James went ahead as well.

Once Rose had the door open a crack Tony barreled through. Gasping, “whoooaaa,” at all he saw. Energy shot right to Tony’s limbs and he put it to good use, throwing his arms out wide as he ran onto the world.

They landed on the edge of a frozen forest, under the center of an opening in the canopy that offered a little more lighting than the shaded trees occupying the surrounding area. The air felt stagnant against their skin, as if every movement wafted it aside. And other than the crunching snow beneath their feet, Woman Wept remained deadly quiet.

“Wow,” Tony breathed as he stroked a finger down the crystalline frost clinging to the bark of a tree.

Rose walked on, admiring the scenery instead of addressing the Doctor. Right. Mindreader. Rose must know the Doctor won’t talk now. Although, no doubt she’ll urge him to speak on it all later.

When Rose passed, Tony suddenly wanted to go further than her, see it all first. He zigzagged through the trees and found himself facing a million mile wide beach. He marveled at the sea just beyond the sand, waves twisted and angry as if attacking the sky, but caught before it could reach. Captured in a storm forever.

Tony was struck with the urge to reach out and touch the chaos of the sea. Halted in time at the climax of action, like petting a wild animal as it sleeps. When he tripped. The culprit looked like a crab. A weird... bulky crab that appeared to be more of a stone with eyes carved into it, and legs glued on.

Its eyes shut, Tony didn’t expect to find life on this planet, so he poked it. It wobbled yet did no more, and all at once Tony felt the chill that had been biting his skin since the moment he arrived. The crab is frozen too. Must be. Like the water. But once frozen, it can be melted, right?

Tony scooped the crab up and went to the Doctor. “Can you unfreeze him for me?”   
The Doctor gave the creature a once over. “No, it’s dead.”

A few steps away the Doctor watched Rose and James sit in the sand, to eavesdrop or talk, he didn’t care.

Tony lowered the crab. Tracing its claw with his finger. “Then why isn’t he buried?”

“Not everything gets buried once it dies, Tony.”

That was hard to understand. Tony’s Mum insisted that Pete be put in the ground, which sounded cruel, but she forced Tony to accept the fact. Maybe the Doctor can explain that. “Then why was Dad buried?”

The Doctor slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. He almost forgot. They lost someone too. But how does he explain this to a kid?

“When someone you love dies you want to handle their body with care. You don’t appreciate someone touching or watching you while you sleep, right?”

Tony nodded.

“‘Cause you can’t do anything about it. Dying means they go to sleep forever. Can never move again, so you honor them one last time by laying them to rest away from the world of the living. That way they can sleep in peace.”

Tony felt the questions pouring in. “But then why did they put his name on a rock? It’s ugly, but Mum talks like it’s Dad, an’ it’s not.”

The Doctor knelt down to Tony’s height. “That  _ rock _ is called a gravestone. You’ve seen others, all around your dad’s grave, do you recall all their names?”

Tony furrowed his brow, why would he know that? “No, there was too many.”

The Doctor curtly nodded. “A gravestone is where you go to remember who the dead were, visit their memory openly, because no one walks through a cemetery to miss a grave with a name they don’t recognise. No one else can miss him. It’s just you.”

Tony dropped the crab. “I’m tired of remembering. It makes everyone sad, why can’t we just forget? He’s gone, what’s the use of remembering?”

Rose and James stirred in the distance, half facing them now, as if to move closer if need be.

The Doctor took a moment to himself then told Tony, “It’s been said time and time again, but the only way people live on after death is in our memories.”

Tony shook his head defiantly. “But it hurts,” his voice broke. “Cause I sneak into his study, and Dad's always caught me doin’ that, yeah? He drags me out, asks me what I touched and... And now I go in there. Don't touch nothin' no more. Don't want to. An... an’ I leave. An’ it  _ hurts _ . Dad’s gone, and no one’s ever gonna be able to do what he did. Even the things I didn’t like. He’s not there. What’s the use of thinking about him, when he can’t do  _ nothing _ no more.”

At that the Doctor felt his heart jump to his throat. He swallow it back down, and somehow managed to keep his composure. The words hit him a bit raw considering who  _ he _ just lost.

“Always going to hurt.” The Doctor’s voice quaked. “Gotta accept that. Never feel like you have to force yourself to block the memory of your father to feel better about it. Cause you won’t. One of the stages of grief, crying, you can’t help it. Doesn’t make you weak. Means you miss him. An’ eventually time will go by, you’ll come to terms with it, and it won’t hurt as much.”

“I don’t like crying,” Tony admitted in a small voice as he trembled and did just that. “That’s why I wanted to forget, so I can stop. It’s no fun.”

The Doctor quirked a smirk at his description, but it fell just as fast. “It’s okay to cry because you miss him. I miss people all the time. It’s just when you see them one moment, there, alive, happy. Then gone the next. You suddenly feel empty. That’s when it hurts the most. That’s when you need to cry.... and that’s fine. Cry because you miss them. Cry because you want them back. But never forget them. If you forget, then their life becomes meaningless.”

“I don’t want that.” Tony’s face crumpled. “I won’t forget,” he promised.

The Doctor wrapped Tony into a hug. Inviting Tony’s tears to flow freely as he sobbed into the Doctor’s jumper. Rose patted the Doctor’s back, he hadn’t noticed, but her and James had brought themselves closer, both wearing watery smiles. And surprisingly enough, at her touch, the Doctor no longer wished to run.

“One day you’ll be able to remember him without crying. Become stronger so that can happen. Grow up for him. Make him proud.”


	26. Epilogue of a Full Stop

Immediately after it shut down Rose gasped.

Placing her palm flat where his image last occupied the screen.

“He’s gone, Rose.”

Rose clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head at the Doctor’s words. Holding her breath to not break down, and think. Only think. Breaking down would be an admission, an acceptance of this fate. But the longer she urged her thoughts, the more lightheaded she felt. The need to breathe battling her plea for an idea of any kind to come to mind. Some light in the darkness.

“Rose...”

His beckoning voice jostled her like a feather in the wind. Gone, but here. Her Doctor. A Doctor. The Doctor.

Rose gulped in air. Short sharp sobs overtaking her soon after, until she inhaled greedily, releasing on a low whimper as she fell into herself.

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor gathered Rose into his arms. She trembled, and he caressed her back, coaxing her tears to fall. To vent. “I’m so sorry.”

Rose drew in an abrupt breath every so often, body convulsing slightly. Holding the Doctor as she drowned in the reality of it all.

Later when Rose found her composure, she voiced a question. “Can we go somewhere?” she spoke into the stain of tears on his pinstriped suit. “Anywhere?”

“Alright.” He left her on the grating and threw the TARDIS into life. Once they landed Rose didn't wait, she ran out the doors. The Doctor came out at his own pace, leaning against the doorway to watch her stand in the middle of a grassy field. She stared up at the countless plump heavy white clouds swimming in the endless blue sky. Then below where flowers dotted against the luscious green ground added color and life. A few feet away in the clearing was a river flowing, soothing, monotonously babbling.

He felt an introduction was in order, “this planet-”

“You don't have to,” Rose cut his speech short. “I like it. Thank you.”

The Doctor gave a few sharp nods which ended in his head bowed.

Ready to explore, he reached for her hand on instinct. She hesitated at the invitation, the familiar gesture in a new world too soon for her to accept. Which caused a twinge of remorse on the Doctors part. He swallowed, retracted his offer, and began to tread through the field instead.

Cursing her lack of response, Rose swiftly reassured him by slipping a hand into his.

He released a breath of alleviation.

They traveled in silence. Rose for lack of wishing to speak, and the Doctor respecting that she might be collecting her thoughts.

He stopped her at the river, plopped himself at its edge, so she did the same.

Rose crawled forward on her hands, peering through the rivers glittering surface, at what lay hidden beneath. Moss and rocks, and rocks covered in moss. No fish, no life, aside from the ever-moving water. Suddenly, the Doctor’s bare feet slipped down into the crystal clear liquid. Rose sat back. Finding the Doctors unpredictable behavior slightly less predictable with this new face.

Then he spoke. “What I love most about rivers is you can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing.”

“Pocahontas.” Rose said. “Loved that movie.”

He hummed. “Actually it’s Heraclitus.”

“Oh.”

“With Pocahontas thrown in.”

“Knew it.” She smirked. But not at him, at the water.

Rose saw him earlier, as she clung onto the fact of who he is, now however he sees that she accepted a truth she only partially understood, emotions blinding her.

“I’ve worn many faces,” he began in a somber tone.

Rose drew her legs in, hugging them close. “Changes everytime you, um, you die?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Although limited. Got one more change left.” He hesitated. “Is that alright?”

“Yeah,” she answered all too quickly.

“Rose,” he reinstated the edge into his voice, “I may not look it, but I am the same man.”

She unwound her legs, replying tiredly, “I got that.”

He shook his head. “No, what I mean is I am your Doctor. I was him. Still am.”

“‘Cept you love me.” She stated innocently enough.

The Doctor’s heart stuttered.

Rose gathered up her courage, now or never, she decided to tell him where she stands. “That’s not me. You may be the same Doctor, but I’m a different Rose. I’m not,” her eyes pled with him. “I can’t feel the same. N- not yet, anyway.” She corrected. “I’m not asking you to put a lock on your emotions, jus’ wait for me, okay?”

Whatever he had been trying to prove. Whatever train of thought he had, had now been sufficiently derailed, careened into a ravine, and torn to pieces. Slowly the fact’s of why he can’t possibly love her, why he never divulged he loved her, slapped themselves against the forefront of his mind.  “I can’t—”  _ I’m a Time Lord you’re a human, I can’t live to watch you die _ . “Rose, I’m not—”  _ worth the trouble _ . “I don’t—”  _ do domestic _ . But  _ wait for me _ , she said. And she’s here, and she’s offering, and it’s all so perfect. So, the Doctor settled on a tiny, “okay.” Let her take the lead. Let her have her way. Let her live how she wants, because she doesn’t really have a choice anymore. Since—

“We're both homeless, you an' me,” Rose announced, grabbing his full attention. “Do you think I made the right choice?” She nervously laughed into her palm at his blank expression. “You’re inclined to say I did, but I don’t know. I just knew if I’d left, I’d be leaving you. Alone. And after all this, I know what that’s like, and I couldn’t do it.” Rose exhaled, and fell back, propping herself up on her elbows. “It was... it was scary. Picked up by Alexandre was a godsend. Living there, learning to be so independent, it was so much like Earth when I looked past the differences. But I knew no one.” Her voice quivered as she spat the words. “An’ no one knew me. I didn’t want new friends -I needed them- but I wanted someone familiar. I wanted you. I wanted Mum. But I’d hope, and I’d pray, and nothing. So... so when you told me about being on your own.” Rose adopted a gentler tone. “I felt it. So, here I am, Doctor. I’m someone familiar for you.” She faintly smiled, still so unsure. “Now you’re stuck with me.”

The Doctor was struck by her words, overwhelmed with the urge to show her how much that meant, yet unable to settle on how as his thoughts fought for dominance. For the moment, externally the Doctor could only lamely stare, mouth agape in awe. Not only is she here, she identifies with him. Standing by his side in the chaos. The Doctor’s emotions bursted forth like electricity to his arms as he finally crushed Rose into an embrace. “Stuck with you. That’s not so bad.”

She wrapped her constricted arms around him the best she could. “Again, you’re inclined for that.”

“I know,” he chuckled, feeling daft in his joy, and admiration of her. “However, I intend every word to be true, Rose Tyler, stuck with you is going to be  _ brilliant _ .”

Rose chuckled, his enthusiasm infectious.

“I guess it hasn’t sunken in yet, ya know?” She admitted. “Livin’ with you, everything blends together. Always a spectator wherever we go. Always moving.” Rose sat back, good energy draining. Replaced with ill thoughts. “And the constants we always count on is that the TARDIS is there. That we’ll have each other. And Mum will always be home.” There was a small catch in her voice, yet she spoke on. “When we go back to the Estates, it’ll be empty, I know. It’ll make this all real.” She glanced at him then, all frail and helpless. “Never take me home.”

The Doctor twined his fingers with hers, solidifying a promise, “your wish is my command.”

Rose smiled, the repeated words somehow comforting. She fell into his side, snuggling close. The Doctor’s jaw clicked shut at the intimate move. She knows he loves her, but she doesn’t exactly feel the same. Still she seems to feel at ease in his affections? He’s not sure where that line of  _ do not love _ went -she efficiently snipped that- not even sure what’s okay anymore. Although if she sees no problem, neither does he.

Ah, but then who’s really taking advantage of whose affections here?

The Doctor cleared his throat, unable to continue that thought. “Mind telling me the meaning of your last question?” He asked, “to the other Rose.”

“Well,” Rose focused on the river. “she’s got a normal life. Normal-ish, I mean, with you there’s always aliens about. But my point is she had that human life. That human life I never wanted after I met you,” she smirked. “But she was happy. She’s happy because she has you.” Rose met his eye, a twinkle of adventure gleaming. “That’s all I needed to know.”

After hearing her reasoning the Doctor was all too aware the goofiest grin had come across his face, because she giggled, and he didn’t mind.

“I have a question for you too,” she confessed, interrupting his euphoria. “I’m not going to demand you tell me every detail, but I think I deserve to know the life me and the Doctor didn’t have. The life you had with her.”

The Doctor pondered the idea, his eyebrows creasing. Story time with Rose Tyler about Rose Tyler. All the times that could have been hers, will be hers, and can never be hers. He suddenly wanted Rose to hear it all. But where to start?

A grin tugged at the edges of his mouth.

“Have you ever heard of the big Bad Wolf?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!  
> I'll probably pick up a sequel when Doctor Who starts up again. Inspiration is a funny thing, heh.
> 
> If you're interested in reading more of my works, all of my unfinished fics can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/~sinkingintheabyssoffeels


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